


you were the sweetest apparition

by sweetcreature



Series: the bravest heart [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Captain louis, Cuddling, Disney Characters - Freeform, Fantasy, Feminine Harry, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, Harry Styles - Freeform, Harry is soft, Louis Tomlinson - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Masturbation, Pirate Louis, Prince Harry - Freeform, Prince Harry Styles, Rough Sex, Smut, WILL NOT CONTAIN ANY SPOILER FROM THE ACTUAL TV SHOW, but louis doesn’t like harry in the beginning, captainhook!louis, harry is snow white but he's still a boy, larry stylinson - Freeform, louis calls harry ‘charming’, louis is captain hook, not exactly enemies to lovers, snowwhite!harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2019-08-14 15:37:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 135,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16495472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetcreature/pseuds/sweetcreature
Summary: The only thing Harry needed to worry about was becoming King someday.He wasn't aware he had to worry about his stepmother. Never was he aware of the secrets who beg to be revealed. He never knew the consequences of a beautiful red apple, or making deals with a powerful wizard.And he definitely wasn't aware that he had to worry about meeting a brave and childish one-handed pirate who stubbornly managed to steal his fragile heart.The heart in which everyone is hunting for.♔"Fairytales must have happy endings. It's just how it is and how it should be.""Is that so? Well," A low chuckle erupted from his chest, the hook glinting from the firelight. "I'm afraid you'll be very disappointed with this one, Charming."♔[a snowwhite!harry and a captainhook!louis AU]tw: violence, sexual assault





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hiii, this is a Once Upon A Time inspired fic, but it will NOT contain any spoiler from the show. the only things i copied from ouat are the setting, time and the characters (belle and rumpelstiltskin only, the evil queen is NOT regina from ouat)  
> the rest of it are all my ideas. so it's okay if you haven't watched the show, you'll still be able to understand it. and if it interests you, please watch the amazing show.  
> i will not take credit for Once Upon A Time, all rights go to ABC and their producers. i also do not own One Direction, i'm only using their names and faces.  
> i know that the fandom sees louis as peter pan but why not flip the situation.  
> title is inspired by saw you in a dream by the japanese house  
> thank you for reading this book.

“Why are apples so red?” The young child asked his mother. “Why can't they be yellow or purple or white?” He kept feeling the red fruit's figure in his small hands.

Harry was but a child when he had his first apple tree. It was planted in the center most part of the palace they live in. He has always been fascinated with plants and fruits, which is why his mother gave him so many books to read about such things. He was in love with gardening, it makes up most of his days when he has nothing else to do. And being a child, it's rare for the young Prince to have duties.

His beautiful mother let out a small laugh. “I do believe that the color attracts the bees so the bees can be just as in love as the apples are with them as well.” The Queen let the small boy sit on his lap as he observed the fruit as if he has never seen one before.

Harry scrunched his face at the mention of 'love'. As young as he was, he didn't quite understand it but then again, he views it quite childishly.

The Queen laughed at his reaction. “Now, now, my love. I should give you more storybooks with love in them, but not sure if you're ready for that just yet.” She softly said, running her fingers through her son's curls.

Harry only grinned and leaned his head on his mother's shoulder, staring at the dark red apple he plucked from his favorite tree.

Twelve years later, the tree was still growing. Harry was sat in his wide room, his long legs stretched across his soft and plush bed, like how a royal should be. He drew on his journal, a single rose from the garden he grew in honor of his loving mother, Anne. His mother raised him well for nine years of his life, he can never be more thankful of having her.

Losing her was the hardest part of his life, though he does not wish to talk about it to anyone. Especially not his father, whom remarried a year later. Harry's mother always taught him to treat people with all the kindness and respect he had in his heart, so he tried his hardest to accept the fact that his father moved on and found another woman to love and cherish. Harry did not want to interfere true love, if that's what his father believes he has.

“Your Highness?” A knock came to the door of his room and made the Prince look up. The door opened and revealed Belle, the woman who manages everything that is going on in Harry's life. Harry does not know what exactly that job is called. As contrast on being a Prince, he's not the brightest when it comes to things like this. “The Queen wishes to speak with you.” She told him. “It's best if you hurry, her temper is running quite short this morning.” She nervously told him, bowing her head slightly.

Harry let out a sigh and closed his notebook. “Belle, I've told you a million times that you're allowed to call me Harry.”

“But, Your Majesty—”

“Harry-”

“It's not appropriate of me to address you so casually. You shall be King one day.” Belle expressed her thoughts as her eyes followed the Prince's movements towards the outside of his room, following right behind him.

Harry was quiet for a moment. It wasn't because he doesn't want to be King. He just feels like he won't be the King his people deserve.

The walk towards the King and Queen's grand room was a long one. The Queen, Eva, wished they have a clear view of the Kingdom and that required the highest place in the castle, since their kingdom was the widest in all the realms. The Queen wished for many things and the King granted them right away. Harry didn't quite understand why, but he chose to believe that it was out of love.

The Prince saw his step-mother in front of a mirror and Belle took this as a sign to wait outside of the room. “You wished to see me?”

“Yes,” the Queen tilted her head to the side to see Harry at the corner of her eye, her back still facing the Prince. “There will be a Ball tonight and I want you to look presentable.” She finally turned around, her dress twirled from the movement.

Harry had a small smile on his face. “Why would we have a Ball? There's no occasion to have one.”

The new Queen let out a scoff. “No occasion? Well, need I remind you that it'd be eleven years since I was crowned Queen of the Northern Kingdom. That, of course, counts as an occasion. Does it not?” She held her head up confidently and it made Harry press his feet together, looking quite small. Facing your overly confident step-mother isn't really the best thing that has ever happened to Harry.

“What about father? What of him?” Harry asked, putting his hands behind his back.

The Queen only brushed him off. “He'll be fine by the end of the night. I just want you to look presentable as you are.” She eyed him from head to toe.

Harry felt a little tense, his step-mother quite intimidates him the day he met her. He remembers the first time his father introduced her as his new bride to be. She was quite nice back then, lets him talk about his late mother and they used to stroll down the garden together. Harry has no idea what changed but he knew that one day, the way his step mother saw him changed. He almost saw a glint of hate in her eyes when Harry looks at them, he'll never understand why.

He did not have the heart to ask her.

“Of course, as you wish.” He slowly bowed down, missing the small smirk of satisfaction in the Queen's face from the view of the little Prince bowing down to her.

“That's all. Now run along, ask that vermin of yours to pick your outfit out and have you be ready by the sun sets.” She told him, turning back around to face the mirror.

Harry almost interjected and told her off from calling his only friend a vermin, hut he knew better. So, he just nodded shortly and walked out of the grand room. He was met by a worried look on Belle's face.

“Are you alright, Your Highness?” She asked.

Harry had a hopeful smile on his face. “Yes, can you please fetch me my suit? There's a ball tonight and my step-mother would like me to be presentable for it.”

Oh, how he would wish he had not said that.

♔

“I look awful.” Harry sighed to himself as he looked at himself in the mirror. The golden suit he was wearing complimented his pale skin, although it was very itchy. Harry just has to go through the night.

Belle hummed. “I think you look rather dashing, Your Majesty.” She softly said, smoothing out the chest area of the suit.

Harry huffed. “I don't. Do you have any other suits? This one is so tight and feels like a second skin.” He pouted.

Belle let out a soft laugh. “Why are you so nervous, Your Highness? It's a big night; people from all across the land came to see you. Their future King.”

The Prince pressed his lips together as the lady led him to sit in front of his mirror. “Not really. The Queen told me that the Ball was for her eleventh anniversary of being Queen.” He muttered, playing with the little ruffles of his suit.

“Well, that's unusual. She's never done that before. Do you wonder what the eleventh year of being Queen means?” Belle asked as she brushed Harry's hair in front of the mirror.

The young Prince shrugged and shook his head. “No idea–”

The sound of the door opening abruptly startled the two. Harry immediately stood up and walked up to the guards. “What's the meaning of this?” He demanded.

The guards looked frightened. “The Ogres have declared war and they're right at our gates.” They claimed and made Harry's eyes widen.

Belle walked up to them. “Ogres? We defeated them years ago.” She furrowed her brows in confusion. It was all of a sudden too, almost ridiculous.

“This has been a setup, Your Highness. The Queen requests you to go to the safe room with her.” They waited for him to go with them.

“What? No! The Kingdom is in danger and the Queen wants to hide? Where is Father?” He felt a little confused and slightly angry at the Queen for telling the royals to hide and not lead.

The royal guards followed him, as did Belle. “But Your Majesty, the royal men shall take care of it all and fight for the kingdom.” One of the guards tried to stop him. “You cannot go out there, Your Majesty!”

“What are you doing?” Belle grabbed his arm to stop him from walking outside.

“I'm saving my people!”

“By getting yourself killed? No, Your Majesty, that is not the option. We must take you to your father.” She calmly told him.

Harry contemplated and sighed, nodding. It was a rash decision, he knew. He shouldn't act upon impulse.

They were taken to the safe room, where the King, Queen and the people who came to the ball were.

The King immediately came up to the Prince. “The kingdom will be safe; the guards are keeping it that way. We just need to stay here until all is over.”

“Oh, I'm not quite sure about that.” A high voice echoed in the room.

Harry had no idea who it was, but the voice sent shivers down his spine. The people gasped and backed away from the man, or creature, Harry had no idea.

“Rumpelstiltskin,” The King slowly said. “Your presence is not needed in this Kingdom.” His voice was filled with unwelcome; the Prince has never heard his father speak that way before.

The man had the roughest looking skin Harry has ever seen. He did not look human. He let out a giggle that was definitely not cute, more of made the hair on Harry's arms stand up. “Well, make it count, dearie. I'm here to save,” he playfully bowed. “-your lives.” The man put a fake accent. Rumpelstiltskin stood straight back up. “I am willing to make you a deal.” He grinned, hands making sophisticated motions that were almost distracting.

“No, we are not interes–”

“Let him speak.” The Queen walked up next to the King. “Let us hear what he has to offer.” She said.

Her words silenced the King and made Rumpelstiltskin laugh childishly again. “I can solve your little Ogre problem.” He paused. “Have I caught your attention?” He had this menacing grin that gave Harry a feeling that somehow, someway, this will all go wrong. “Yes, I could do all that. Rumpelstiltskin, at your service. But all magic comes with a price.” He mocked the movements of a puppet, it was terrifyingly entertaining.

“Name your price,” the Queen stepped in front of him, stopping the guards who tried to come between them. “–Rumpelstiltskin.” She said his name so slow, that it made Harry's heart stop for a moment. He had no idea what's going on and why this was happening.

The man was absolutely terrifying. He looked horrendous and beastly, Harry wasn't even sure if they could trust him. Does he have magic like those creatures from his mother's books?

“My price,” he started, hand on his chest and made him looked noble, “–is her.” He pointed at someone behind Harry.

The Prince turned around and saw the frightened look on Belle's face. “M-me?”

“Yes, you dearie.” His grin never went away.

Harry felt like the world stopped. He only ever had his father and Belle on his side. He grew up with Belle; her mother was a Lady Royal and his mother's best friend. He knew he should control how he feels, but his mother taught him to fight for the people he loved.

“That is beyond-” The King started.

“Take her away, Dark One. She's a mere servant.” The Queen offered, gesturing to Belle, who looked terrified but managed to hide it well. Her words took everyone by surprise. Is she really willing to sacrifice a person for the safety of others? That'd be the same with building and empire on Belle's blood. It was inhuman. “You've got yourself a deal.”

“No.” Harry interjected, surprising everyone and especially the Queen.

Belle grabbed his arm to ask him to stop. “Your Highness,”

“No! Why her?” Harry demanded an answer from the Dark One, trying really hard to mask his fear.

Rumpelstiltskin turned to the young Prince and eyed him. “Ah, the Prince.” He strode towards him. “Princey, Princey, Prince. Hm... Skin as white as snow, hair as brown as ebony. Lips,” he childishly giggled once again. “–as red as blood. Just as prophesied.” He muttered, grin was faltering. “Isn't that right, my Queen?” His smile was suddenly plastered on his face yet again.

It was confusing; he did not know what the man was saying. He wished that all this would be over with and Belle would still remain by Harry's side. Harry's eyes went to his step-mother, who looked full of rage. “I'd watch my mouth if I was you, Rumpelstiltskin.” The Queen calmly spoke, maintaining her queenliest.

The Prince realized how the Queen and the Dark One knew each other. But why? How could someone like the Queen be somewhat associated with him?

Rumpelstiltskin was the kind of person, from Harry's observation, who found everything amusing. In Rumpelstiltskin's mind, he knew that Prince Harry will know soon. His destiny.

“I don't care about any prophecies of yours; you are not taking her away.” Harry claimed. As he said that, a loud chorus of growls came from outside and made the guests panic. The Ogres were through the gates, charging towards the castle and they'd be here any minute.

The grin on Rumpelstiltskin's face mocked Harry's existence as he struggled with his decisions.

“I'll go with you.” Belle suddenly told the Dark One, who only clapped in delight as she walked towards him.

“What? Belle, no.” Harry pulled her back. “Are you mad! You can't go with this beast.” He looked back at him, who only put a fake shock look on his face. “You'll be in danger, it's not worth it.” He told her.

The girl only smiled. “Harry, it's alright. I promise you that I will take care of myself.” She softly told him and gave him a hug.”

Harry could never stop her if he could, so he hugged her tightly and softly whispered. “I'll find you, I promise. I'll save you.” He mumbled, closing his eyes as a tear slipped down his cheek. They both pulled away and Belle just smiled at him. “I'm finally becoming a hero like in the books.” She said, letting go of his hand and going with the Dark One. “Can you tell me what will happen to me?” She quietly asked him.

The Dark One chuckled. “Now, where's the fun in that?”

Rumpelstiltskin snapped his fingers and all of a sudden, Harry was back in his room, the walls were fixed and the candles were still lit as he continued his soft cries at the loss of his best friend.

For the past few weeks after Belle left the castle, Harry trained himself in the woods. In a few years, he has to find a Princess to marry and become king, yet all he could focus on is finding his best friend again. He cannot forget about her, he still remembers every detail of that day, the day he took her.

Harry huffed after shooting an arrow straight into the red target. He put down his bow and walked through the woods. His father and step-mother had no idea what he was doing, how he was planning to fight the Dark One to get Belle back. She did not deserve to be held captive and Harry remains hopeful that she is still alive.

The way back home was tiring, especially when there was no carriage to take him there. He has to walk to avoid the royal guards reporting him to the Queen, who obviously despised him for a reason Harry has yet to know.

Ever since the encounter with Rumpelstiltskin, he kept repeating his words when the man started to describe Harry's physical features. Skin as white as snow, hair as brown as ebony and lips as red as blood. He has no idea what he meant, but in his theory, those words were part of a prophecy as he mentioned. The Prince was so curious on what the prophecy may be. He felt anxious most of the time now, Belle was in an unsafe environment and he couldn't shake off the thought of her getting hurt.

He wore normal clothes, to strip himself away from the title of a royal. He looked just like each of his subjects. He wanted to be normal like everyone else, wear comfortable clothes and be able to be treated normally. Unlike being a royal, everyone has to love you and worship you. That was never what Harry wanted. His mother was once a peasant, who married the kindest Prince. She always taught him how to be humble, she did not want the treasure, and money and the power get to her son's mind.

Once he reached the back of the castle, he went underground to remain unseen. He saw some of the servants and how they smiled brightly upon seeing their true Queen's son. He was the only piece left of hr in the kingdom. He was adored by the entire kingdom, his selflessness and kindness reflected his mother's personality.

When he reached his room with the help of a few loyal servants, he quickly hid his bow and arrow and changed his clothes, facing his mirror. Everything was different now, the other royals saw how the Queen never hesitated in giving away the daughter of a previous Lady Royal and they saw how cruel she was and they're slowly losing faith in her.

“Your Highness.” A royal guard entered the room in a hurry, making the Prince turn around and look at him in confusion. “The Queen wishes to speak with you.”

Harry sighed and turned back to his mirror. “I'll be there when I can.”

“It's urgent; she would like to have you there now.” The guard insisted.

The boy frowned and felt unmotivated to go there. He put the brush down and followed the guard into the garden where his apple tree lies. The Queen was there, wearing a gorgeous red gown that matched the apples. The guard left them alone and the Queen plucked an apple from the tree.

“I remember how you were a small child when you first told me about how you and your mother planted this tree together. It still grows until this day.” She said as she looked at the apple, twisting it in her hand. She reached the apple towards the Prince. “Have a bite.” A smile appeared on her face.

Harry felt like they had a connection once again, like all those years ago. He smiled back at her. There was something intimate about how she gave him an apple from his mother's apple tree; it was so loving in Harry's eyes.

So, he took the bright red apple and hummed. “I thought you disliked me or something.” He softly chuckled as he took a bite from the apple, missing the way a glint of relief washed over the Queen's face in a split second. His heartbeat slowed and suddenly, his sight started to shift. Harry could barely hear the soft tweeting of the birds and feel his hands move.

His step-mother's expression changed, but the smile remained. But the smile she had was neither of happiness or loving. Harry could've sworn he saw the look of success on her face.

“But my dear, it's so much more than that.” Were the last words that echoed in Harry's mind as his vision slowly slipped away from his grasp.

♔

Harry awoke in the forest, with leaves on his forehead and arm. He tried standing up but his back cramped and made him groan in pain. He has no idea what happened but he's very sure that he's far away from the kingdom. He was no longer wearing his Prince like clothes, instead he wore clothes that belonged to a peasant and it felt much more comfortable this. He'd prefer these clothes over the uncomfortable stereotypical royal clothes.

The Prince was in some kind of make shift shelter made of wood and he was so confused how he got here. He frowned when he remembered how his own step-mother poisoned the apple he was given. It was an unbelievable instance for a Queen to poison the Prince.

He heard a twig snap and his reflexes made him flinch at the sound. “Who's there?”

“You're awake.” He heard a male voice, the figure coming to Harry's range of vision and revealed a boy his age. “I brought you some food.” He crouched down, giving him a basket of fruits. “I can't hunt for meat now, cooking is time consuming so I hope you don't mind fruits?” He questioned and helped the Prince sit up.

Harry shook his head slowly, eyes on the face of the unfamiliar person in front of him. “No, I don't mind.” The boy sat down on the ground as well and nodded at his response.

“Where am I?” He asked, not wanting to touch any fruits at the moment but did not want to seem ungrateful.

The boy looked at him in the eyes. “You... don't remember falling into a hole when you ran here in the woods?” He asked, confused on how the boy can forget. He surely can't forget seeing him fall in a hole.

Harry's eyes widened. “fall into a what? I don't even remember entering a forest!” He claimed and hissed when his back hurt from raising his voice.

“That's very strange, indeed.” The boy mumbled.

The young Prince bit his lip and stared at the fruits in the basket. “Who are you? What's your name?” He asked the mysterious boy.

“I'm Niall, I was passing through the forest when I saw you running and, my guess, tripping and falling into a rabbit trap of mine.” He sighed. “I brought you here to heal, it was partly my fault. Rabbit holes that big are pretty dangerous. I can assure you this was the first time someone fell into one, I'm not that careless.” He chuckled, biting into an apple and the sight made Harry cringe away but managed to hide it.

Harry's hand reached for his own head, seeing blood on his fingers made him woozy.

“Don't touch that, let it heal first.” He reached for Harry's hands and put them down. “Eat, you need food.”

“How long was I out for?” Harry reached for some berries, putting all his trust on the boy who seemed harmless and friendly.

“Three days at most, longest nap I've seen someone take.” Niall let out a chuckle and lightened the atmosphere, it made Harry relax a little bit. Although, three days was such a suspicious number of days for sleep.

The Prince was a little surprised. “Three days? All I remember was my step mother and then waking up here..” he trailed off, head wandering elsewhere to observe his surroundings. “I've never been here before. I don't think this is my home anymore.” Harry quietly said.

“It's not. You're in Queen Aurora's kingdom. You're safe here.” Niall said. “For now.”

“For now? What does that mean?” He asked.

Niall pressed his lips together. “I'm starting to actually believe that you don't remember anything from the past week.”

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. Past week? But the boy said he's only been asleep for three days. “But.. I really don't.” He quietly said.

The boy softened and was silent for a few minutes. “I'm sorry, Your Highness.”

When he uttered those words, something clicked inside Harry's mind. “I never told you who I am.” He said to himself. The Prince's head snapped towards the boy and saw the wash of realization on his face.

Niall was at loss of words, and the young Prince gathered all his strength and stood up from where he was once seated. He slowly backed away from the boy, who looked conflicted.

“Who really are you?” He asked, keeping his distance.

Whilst Niall was trying to figure out what to say, Harry's eyes darted to the satchel on the dirt and his first instinct was to take it and open it, turning it upside down to shake its contents onto the ground. A folded paper fell from the bag as well as a few coins. He picked the paper up, not missing how the other boy whispered 'no' as he opened the folded paper.

There, Harry's face was drawn. Along with the drawing, the word 'Wanted' was spelled in all caps on top of the Prince's head. As he kept reading, the text below contained 'For crimes against the Queen: Murder, Treason, Treachery' and it made his head hurt. Murder? Who would Prince Harry ever murder?

The boy blinked at the page. “What does she mean by murder?” He asked Niall. “Why do you have this?”

Niall seemed to hesitate on answering, it made him look around for a moment and looking back at Harry's eyes. He did not know where to start, which truth he should tell the Prince, for he did not know which one would be more painful to hear.

“The Queen sent me as her huntsman. She.. ordered me to bring her your heart.” He quietly said. “ I led you to one of my rabbit traps so I could get a hold of you.” His voice laced with regret, though Harry wasn't sure if he could trust anyone anymore.

Harry's heart dropped in his chest. His heart? Why would the Queen want to kill him, what has he ever done to her?

“You led me to a rabbit hole to take my heart and bring it to the Queen?” He said slowly, never really thought he'd be able to say those words in his life.

The huntsman nodded. “Yes.”

The Prince looked at the wanted poster again. “Why am I accused of murder?” He asked, voice quiet and terrified of who it may be.

Niall paused. “I'm not sure if you are ready to know yet.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Why does everyone think I am some kind of weakling? Now, tell me why I am accused of murder. That is an order.” His tone was filled with authority, glaring at the huntsman.

There was a silence.

The man looked away from Harry. He knew that this boy deserved to know the truth. “The Queen is a witch. She possessed magic ever since she was a teen. I only know this because my parents were once her parents' servants. It was a secret within the castle on how the child of the Lady Royal learned to use magic.” He started and honestly, it never surprised Harry anymore. The fact that the Queen could poison her own step-son proves how evil she could be.

“When you took a bite of that apple, it shut down your mind. That's why you can't remember things from the past week. The poison that apple contained made you do one thing you would never do. Something that never even crossed your mind. You've been on the run ever since.” He told him.

“How can I know if I could trust you?” He asked.

“Because four days ago, I came to find you and take your heart to the Queen and feed my family. Today, I realized it wasn't worth it. I believe that you never did anything wrong.” Niall told him.

Harry's body relaxed, still not sure if he should trust anything he'd say. “Why was I accused of murder?” He muttered and looked down at the ground, dreading the following words that come from the man.

Niall was hesitating. “After you took a bite of the apple, nobody really knew what happened but,” He paused. “King Solomon is now dead.” Niall watched the realization wash over Harry's face and felt guilty.

He killed the King. He killed his father. Harry's knees weakened as tears filled his eyes. He felt his chest tighten as he struggled to breathe. Harry didn't want to break down in front of this man, in fear of appearing weak. So he tried his best to stop his tears.

Oh God, he can't believe he killed the King with his bare hands, his own father, and the man who gave him life. He knew that Niall didn't say it out loud, but he knew that the huntsman understood.

“Your Highness, it wasn't your fault. You were under a spell.” Niall slowly took a step forward. “Don't worry, I'm not taking your heart. You must run, Harry. Seek refuge in a different land. Be far away from here, never stop running. Fighting a Queen who possess magic is almost impossible.” He said, taking his bow and arrows. “Here, I take it that you know how to use these?”

Harry bit his lip and nodded, still processing everything that has happened. It was a lot of events to fit inside Harry's mind, there were too many things to think and worry about. “I've been training myself to use them.”

“Training? For what?” Niall asked as he blew out the fire.

“To fight the Dark One. He took my friend.” Harry said and his words made Niall pause his actions.

The man suddenly let out a chuckle. “If you can't fight the Queen, you must certainly assume you can't fight the Dark One. He's the most powerful wizard in all realms. He has dark magic, which is dangerous to even interfere with.” He told him.

Harry scoffed. “The least you could do is encourage me. You were planning on cutting my heart out.” He hissed when his back cracked a little bit. “God, I wish you didn't lead me to a rabbit hole. Could've just knocked me out.” He said.

“The least I could do is keep you alive. Going to the Dark One to take something he thinks he owns isn't the best choice to stay alive.” Niall told him. “And you were knocked out though, from falling here.” He jokingly said.

Harry understood Niall's place. He would've gone to extreme lengths to keep his family eating. Maybe not to the point of hurting someone else, but he's not Niall. The Prince wouldn't know what this huntsman is going through. So he chose to understand him, maybe befriend him even. There's a reason why he's defying the Queen to save Harry's life.

Niall grinned, giving Harry a canteen. The Prince thanked him and drank water from it.

“So, what is your plan, Huntsman?” Harry smiled at him.

Niall let out a huff. “Well, I'm going back to the Queen's castle and tell her that I did not find the Prince.” He said, taking the canteen back and putting it inside a bag. “And you are going to a land far away from here. Don't go after the Dark One. I wouldn't advice it.” Niall shook his head.

The Prince didn't say anything else and just sighed. “I should probably go now. I wish I could say that it was nice to meet you.” He said. “But I could say that it was nice getting to know you?”

What he said made Niall laugh. “Yes, Your Highness. I hope I never see you again. That'd mean you're safe.” He nodded and held out his hand to shake Harry's. “Apologies for trying to take your heart.”

The younger boy shook Niall's hand and nodded with a friendly smile. “Apology accepted. It was understandable. The Queen made you do it.” He softly said and put his hand down. “You know so much about my step-mother, do you know about any prophecy that involves her?” Harry frowned. “When the Dark One took my friend, he mentioned something about a prophecy that made my step mother slightly angry.”

Niall hummed, thinking but slowly shaking his head. “No, I don't recall any prophecy about her.” He answered.

“Oh..” he trailed off. Harry gathered the things that Niall gave him for his journey. “Well, thank you so much for helping me, Niall. I really do appreciate it. Please, be careful of my step mother, we don't know what she's capable of.” He warned him and the man nodded. Harry put on the hood Niall handed him, pushing the wanted poster into a bag to hide it. He slung the bag of arrows on his shoulder and took the bow. He took one last glance of Niall before turning his back and walking off.

The smile faded from Niall's face. He felt worry fill his body as he watched Harry walk away.

“Well?” Niall jumped at the sound of the Queen's voice.

Niall pulled out the small mirror from his pocket and looked at the Queen. “Did my lovely step son buy it?” She asked.

The huntsman's heart felt like it could crush at any minute now, but for his family, he'd go through hell. Niall felt so guilty, he can't believe he did this. He'll never forgive himself for helping a woman destroy an innocent person. “Yes,” he let out a breath. “He did, Your Majesty.” He kept his composure.

The Queen let out a laugh. “Perfect.” She said and looked at the huntsman. “You can claim your prize at my castle.”

Niall only nodded and was about to put the mirror down.

But the Queen looked at him with such belittlement. “Your family will be very proud of you.” She said with a menacing chuckle which made the hair on Niall's arms stand, before she waved her hand and her image was gone.

♔

Harry walked through the unfamiliar woods until he reached the village. There were so many people walking down the streets, carrying heavy sacks and pushing cartwheels of wheat to mill. Children played at the sides of the road whilst working people led horses back to their stables. The Prince has never been this far away from home, if he could even call it as his home.

Now that he's an orphan with a stepmother who absolutely hates him, he has never felt so alone. The more Harry tells himself that it isn't his fault that his father died, the more he does not believe it.

A woman accidentally bumped into the Prince. “Excuse me,” Harry muttered and proceeded walking. The woman seemed to not even notice and ignored Harry. He felt very invisible this way, which is way better.

He didn't seem to find any wanted poster of himself. The Prince hoped that this kingdom was safer than his.

He reached a tavern and went inside, hopefully no one would recognize him. He sat down at one corner and rested for a while.

“Want a drink?” A voice asked from above him.

Harry ducked down and waved him off. “No, thank you. Not in the mood.” He muttered, tired from walking all day. The forest was quite a big place, easy to get lost in. Luckily, Harry got out alive.

The man only laughed. “No one is ever not in the mood for some rum, sir. At least have one, you could use some.” Harry listened to the man as he poured him a drink into a small metal cup. “On the house.”

Harry only smiled but kept his face hidden. “Thank you, it's very kind of you.” He said, reaching for the drink and pulled it closer to him, choosing not to drink since it was nearly impossible to trust anyone now. Niall was okay for him to trust and that was really hard to do so. He's enough.

The man still stood there for a second before taking a seat in front of Harry. It made Harry look up accidentally to look at the person in front of him.

“I saw you come inside, felt your strong presence. You're not supposed to be here, Your Highness.” The man said, voice urgent but quiet.

“Y-you know who I am?” Harry asked, hands wrapped around the metal cup with his drink in it.

The man nodded. “Yes, I once lived in your kingdom. I was young when I left. My family chose to leave when Queen Anne passed.” He mumbled, looking around for a moment before turning back to Harry. “You aren't supposed to be in this village. The Evil Queen's men are looking for you. They just left the village almost an hour ago but they could still be around.” He told him and suddenly grabbed his hands, making Harry widen his eyes. “The fate of our realm lies in your hands, Your Highness. You must go back to the kingdom and help your people, they are in great danger.” He urgently said, making Harry feel terrified.

Harry shook his head frantically, not knowing what to say and he was surprise at how the man addressed his stepmother as evil. “I'm not a hero, I am so sorry. I cannot help you, sir.”

The man kept begging Harry to go back to his kingdom and save the people there, his hands tight around Harry's as they went back and forth with Harry refusing to go back to his kingdom. “You must go back!”

Impulse took over Harry and made him stand up to get away from the man. “No!” He took a step back, his hood falling from his head and settled on his shoulders.

His voice draw attention from the people in the tavern. It was prominent that the men and women in the tavern recognized the Prince, he never should've gone here, and people view him as a piece of meat they could sell for money. They went crazy and chased after him.

Harry's heart drop and he ran outside, pushing past the people who blocked the way. His eyes widened when he saw the Queen's men on horses racing towards him. He ran to the opposite way and kept running until the sounds of horses neighing was almost inaudible to him. The Prince was panting as he reached the forest yet again.

When two horses raced towards him, he yelped and ran to the opposite direction. At the corner of his eye, he saw the sea. Bodies of water? He couldn't believe his eyes, he has never seen the sea before. The Queen's men followed him as he ran across the docks, going down the stairs and spotting a ship. He didn't think twice about climbing into it then hiding, but the Prince slipped and hit his head, then everything went black.

♔

“Mate, wake up.” Harry heard a man's voice as he groaned.

He squinted at the sudden rush of light into his eye, the sun was shining brightly. He looked up and saw men hovering over him as he sat down on the wooden floor of the ship.

The Prince was met by a man dressed in all black, he was looking at him with such curiosity and annoyance.

Harry tried to raise his arms but then realized that he was tied up to keep him from moving. He sighed and muttered, “Great.”

“What the bloody hell are you doing in my ship?” The man asked, annoyed because this will be another problem for him.

“Where am I?” Harry said, struggling in the ropes he was tied in.

The boy seemed very young, around Harry's age, whilst the men around him were very much old. It was an odd sight. And from the boy's words saying that this is his ship, it's safe to assume that this may be the Captain. A very young one.

“Now, I believe that I asked a question first; what the hell are you doing aboard my ship?” He asked again.

Harry was at loss of words, mouth open yet no words coming out. He just realized that he was actually surrounded by pirates and not the Royal Navy.

The boy rolled his eyes. “This is a bloody waste of time, should just make you walk the plank.” He said before turning around to walk away.

The Prince had a few seconds to come up with what he should say. If these were pirates, then that would mean that they might take him away from land. Harry wouldn't be able to reach the Dark One's castle and save Belle. He has to go back to land. The young Prince was trying to formulate a plan to keep his identity hidden, and relied on faith that hopefully these pirates don't know who he is or what he did.

“Wait,” he said, making the pirate stop and turn back around. “I-I'm just a poor man, you have to spare my life. I-I have a family to feed back home, they're waiting for me.” Harry pleaded, faking his tears and he seemed very realistic.

The pirate raised his eyebrows and grinned. “No, that's not it.” He slowly said before roughly wrapping his hand around Harry's neck. “Tell me your real identity or I will snap your neck like a piece of stick, mate.” He whispered into his ear, sending shivers down Harry's spine.

The other men looked very surprised at their Captain's claim. Harry seemed very believable and it was a little bit impressive that this pirate could tell that Harry was lying.

The Prince didn't seem to have a choice, jerking his head away from the pirate's grasp. “I'm a Prince, and you have to get me back to land because this would be considered a crime, you're all kidnapping me.” He confidently claimed. It was actually the truth, but not the whole truth. So he knew that the man would buy it.

The other men laughed at the ridiculous claim, but the pirate pressed his lips together, pulling back and looking at Harry directly to the face. His blue eyes reflected the ocean. “I'm afraid I can't do that, mate. We're far off from land now.” He scoffed.

Harry frowned. “You can't sail back?”

“I have a destination to go to and quite frankly, that's none of your business.” He glared at him, staring at a hook. A hook?

Harry's eyes went down to the hook on the man's hand. He had a hook for a hand, why does that fit him in a weird way?

The Prince struggled against the ropes around him. “Untie me, now!” He ordered.

The pirate only laughed. “It's a pirate's life for you, mate. I do hope you like being tied up.” He mentioned, voice low as he eyed the Prince. “There are no Princes or Princesses here in the Jolly Roger. Only pirates and their Captain.” He claimed as the other yelled hurrah in agreement.

Harry felt helpless being tied up that way. If he remains in this ship, he may not be able to get to Belle. “I need to get back to land, you have to take me back!” He kept struggling within the ropes, groaning in frustration. He absolutely did not like being towered over while he was tied up like bait.

The man only chuckled, pulling out a flask and opening it. “And why would I do that, Your Excellency?” He mocked his royal name before having a drink of whatever it was he kept in his flask.

Harry didn't know how to convince them all to untie him, so he was silent for a while.

“Didn't think so.” The pirate only huffed. “Search him.” He told one of his crew. The men only nodded and started to rummage through all Harry's things.

Harry just watched the pirate's hook of a hand, it was so distracting and held an untold story.

The men found a piece of paper inside Harry's bag and it made him wince in frustration. The wanted poster.

The man gave it to their Captain and made him laugh in delight. “Oh, so we have a runaway Prince, huh? Never thought I'd encounter one in my life!” He laughed, the crew laughing along with him. “Harry Styles, a very royal name, innit?” He hummed. “For crimes against the Queen. Murder, Treason, Treachery... boring, boring and absolutely boring.” He read its contents and sighed, throwing the piece of paper to the sea, Harry's eyes followed his every movement. “You killed someone and your mother really wants you dead, huh? Look at how much money she's offering.” The pirate joked about Harry's life like it was nothing. Maybe to him, it was.

“She's not my mother.” Was all Harry could say, he knew that these men will capture Harry and take him to the Queen so she could rip his heart out herself.

The pirate crouched down to be in level with Harry, and the Prince could see how blue his eyes really were. The sight made him gulp nervously. He was expecting him to cut his heart out now, but he reached behind him and cut off the ropes with his hook.

“W-what are you doing?” Harry asked. “Aren't you going to sell me out to the Queen?”

The boy only scoffed. “I don't give a damn about money, it's treasure I want. The Queen's offer isn't that so whether you like it or not, you'll be staying here with us until we find land. If you ever disobey me, I'll have you walk the plank, Prince Charming.” He said in a bored tone.

It was amazing how all these bigger and stronger men seemed to have the smallest of them all to lead them, and they all just watched, except for one man who wore a red hat.

“But Captain, we could really use the money this Queen is offering!” He said.

The pirate grabbed him by his collar. “Next time you question my decisions, Mr. Smee, I'll make sure you never do again.” He said to his face and released him. “Don't make me regret having you as my first mate.” He rolled his eyes and composed himself. “You,” he looked at Harry for a brief moment. “Follow me.” He started walking, not even waiting for Harry's response.

The Prince just followed him quietly, not wanting to get into any more trouble. When they both left, the whole crew went back to work as if Harry never happened. The pirate led him down a staircase and entered a room with one bed and a couch with a table that had many stacks of papers and rolled maps on it and many cabinets and cupboards, making the whole room look messier and smaller than it seems. “You'll be staying here, on that sofa.” He mumbled. “It's also my room so don't complain. It's not exactly a palace.” He huffed. “Don't touch anything and don't come out of this room unless I tell you to. If you ever try to fight me or any of my crew, it's either my hook in your chest or your body at the bottom of the sea.” Louis finished with a sarcastic smile.

Harry was not really surprised by what he had said, he almost seemed unfazed by it, given what he encountered the past few days. “Why are you doing this?” Harry asked him suddenly. “We don't even know each other.”

The pirate raised his brows at him. “Well, if you must know, I'm Captain Louis Tomlinson. But I'm mostly known by my pseudonym; Captain Hook.” He mocked a curtsy.

“Captain Hook? How witty.” Harry raised his brows at him, eyes darting to the hook attached to his arm.

“You're only to call me Captain, it's only appropriate.” He said. This pirate looked at Harry with such boredom, masking his own interest in the Prince. He was very curious as to how he got to his ship. One of his crew members found the unconscious boy behind piles of barrels, almost leaving him unseen.

From Harry's observation, Louis seemed very childish in a way but he can also be terrifyingly serious and very threatening. Harry wasn't sure if he can trust him or not, but given he has no other choice but to follow the rules in order to get back to land, he has to go along with this.

“Why are you doing this? You could've easily taken me to the Queen and become rich.” He muttered.

Louis only laughed as he climbed back up the stairs. “Let's just say that being here on the Jolly Roger will make you wish you went back to the Queen and surrendered.” He said while grinning and not looking back at the Prince, which made Harry feel uneasy.

Harry had an absolute feeling that this pirate may be right.

♔

The young boy did not know how much time he spent sitting on the leather sofa, but he had a feeling that it was late. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard the door open and a man climbed down. There were no sunlight that seeped through the door, just darkness and the dim light from a small lamp in the corner of the room. Harry scrunched his nose at the smell of rum, noticing how the pirate was clearly drunk as he stumbled towards his bed.

“Take my shoes off, Prince Charming.” Louis grumbled, eyes half-closed and his smirk lingered.

He seemed like he had a fun day, unlike Harry who was stuck as a prisoner inside of his ship.

Harry only scoffed. “Why would I take your shoes off? Your drunk, I could easily kill you.” He stubbornly said and walked away from him.

Louis only chuckled. “You've got nowhere to go, we're surrounded by the wide sea and you're surrounded by big angry men who worship their dear Captain.” He said, and it made Harry want to slap the smirk off his face. “Besides, if you were planning to kill me, you would've already. What kind of Prince would kill a person?” He mocked, taking his flask of rum again. “Now take off my shoes, you're one of my prisoners now. It's your fault that you came to my ship with no permission whatsoever.”

Harry does not want to submit to this pirate. He didn't want to serve anyone, but he had to keep his positive image. His mother would've wanted him to stand his guard and not let anyone step over him, but to save Belle, he'd do anything. He sighed in defeat, going to the boy and unlacing his boots before pulling them off, putting them away neatly as instinct. Louis hummed, eyes closing as he shifted in his bed. “Try not to kill me in my sleep, that'd be great, Prince Charming.”

“I have a name, you know.” He muttered.

“Doesn't matter, Charming suits you.”

Harry scoffed in annoyance and went to his couch, needing some sleep as well. He knew that the pirate won't kill him, there's a reason why he hasn't so far. So because of that, Harry felt a little bit okay to get some rest.

He lied down on the uncomfortable sofa and closed his eyes, hoping all of this was but a dream and that he'd be with his friend again.

It wasn't the case. When he awoke the next day, his eyes went immediately to the pirate's bed, which was empty and unmade. Harry rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms before going to the pirate's bed to fix it and keep it neat. This whole ship is actually a mess. It may look magnificent on the outside, but inside seemed really unclean. Harry was a neat freak, he wanted everything to be spotless and tidy and organized, and he disliked it when things were out of place. Since he can't really leave this room, he probably should at least clean it.

And so he did. He found a dusty broom that seemed to never have been used in a long while. He started to sweep the floor, still a little weak since he just woken up. Harry folded the clothes on the floor and arranged them by kinds; coats, socks, leather jackets and even underwear, although Harry scrunched his nose when he held one. It was honestly disgusting how things were so dirty in the room. Harry wiped the walls and the floor with a rag he found.

He went to the desk and sighed at the stacks of papers and rolled maps on it. There was a book too entitled 'The Bravest Heart' beneath the papers and he picked it up. He smiled at it, touched the worn out seams. By the looks of it, it has been opened quite a number of times, like the one who owned it loved reading it. Maybe the pirate wasn't as bad as he makes himself out to be.

By the time he was finished cleaning the desk, it has been an hour. He swiped a finger on the table and grinned when there were no speck of dust that showed.

The door opened and Harry immediately turned and saw the familiar boots step down the staircase until the pirate's head was in view.

“Prince Charming, I was..” He stopped himself midway at the sight of his room. Louis seemed very shock at the sight of his now wider-looking room look so clean.

From his face, Harry expected a thank you at least, but he should've expected the opposite. “What the bloody hell were you thinking? I told you not to fucking touch anything, and what did you do!” Louis stomped towards Harry. The pirate's eyes went down to the boy's hands and saw that he was holding the book. His eyes widened and like a reflex, he snatched the book from Harry. “What are you doing!” He yelled and immediately hid the book in one of the drawers. “I gave you three simple rules and you couldn't even do one! I ought to make you walk the bloody plank and have you get eaten by the sharks, Your Majesty.” He spat venom, trying to intimidate Harry yet it will never happen.

“I was just trying to help, I just cleaned your room, and you clearly haven't done that in years. A thank you would be enough. He muttered. Harry can infer from Louis' reaction that the book meant more something to him than any other book.

Louis just glared at him. “You messed up my room even more, now I don't know where the bloody hell all my shit went.” He claimed.

“Oh, so you can find things easier while the things are all on the floor?” Harry sarcastically said.

The boy only rolled his eyes in frustration. “Yes! That's exactly what I meant.”

“Well, then. What am I supposed to do down here all day? I have nothing else to do, cleaning helps keep my sanity.” He said. “It's not really fun being a prisoner. Not assuming you've had any experience.” He mumbled the last part.

Louis was quiet for a moment, he was 't even sure what to say as he took a rag. He groaned. “You used my hook polisher as a rag? Bloody hell, should just make you walk the plank yesterday, should've saved me the trouble.” He huffed, throwing the rag to the floor.

“My apologies, I didn't know.” Harry mumbled. “I just.. didn't have anything else to do. I thought I was helping.”

Louis just walked up to him and was so close to Harry's face, it made the boy intimidated even though he was slightly taller than the pirate. And all of a sudden, he smiled as if he got the brightest idea ever. “If you're going to clean my room, you should clean the entire Jolly Roger.” He laughed, backing away. “Wouldn't that be exciting? I, Captain Hook, have royal blood scrubbing the floorboards of my precious ship.” He grinned, crinkles forming at the corner of his eyes. If he wasn't so sarcastic and cruel, Harry would've found it endearing.

The Prince furrowed his eyebrows. “But I just-”

“No, buts, Charming. You have to obey every word I say or it's off the plank you go,” he singsong, grabbing Harry's arm and taking him to the deck, pushing him as he tried to regain his balance. A mop was shoved to his chest by one of the crew members and the Captain of the ship stood there, arms crossed with a dominant stance. It made Harry feel small and humiliated. He has to get off this ship and he can't do that without fighting back. He pressed his lips together, he can't believe he's being punished by doing the Captain a favor. He was only trying to help. The mop sloshed around on the floorboards as he moved it against the ground. The other men went about with their work while the Captain just watched the Prince do what he said.

The sight made him feel something he never felt before, or in a while. He felt pity for the boy. He seemed like he was going through so much, and Louis is probably making it worse. But if Louis stops him, his crew might think he was going soft and that is not who Captain Hook is. Captain Hook is a ruthless pirate who kill those who defy him or get in his way. He's not about to let his reputation be ruined by some boy he's taken an interest in. “Keep cleaning, Charming. Make sure this ship is spotless.” He said, walking away to the helm to steer the boat.

Harry didn't say anything else and proceeded cleaning the ship. It took him hours to actually clean the whole deck, the last area left is by the helm when the pirate used his spyglass to look out into the sea.

“There's no sign of land yet, Mr. Smee. I'm positively sure that we're on the right way. This is a bloody disaster.” He said in a frustrated tone to his first mate.

“Well, we're going to the direction the map is telling us to go.” The first mate said.

Harry was just eavesdropping onto their conversation while wiping the railings of the boat and sweeping the floor. He slowly glanced at the map Mr. Smee was holding and immediately recognized the symbols.

Out of impulse, he whispered. “Reaper's map.”

This caught the Captain's attention and made him furrow his eyebrows. “Who?” He didn't even question the fact that the Prince stopped cleaning.

“Uh..” the boy didn't know what to say. “My apologies, I was eavesdropping.” He muttered and went back to work, trying really hard not to smile because he knew something that the pirates didn't.

Captain Hook walked towards him. “What do you know about this map?” He asked. “Tell me, Charming.” He said, sarcasm laced in his voice.

“You can ask a lot nicer, you know.”

The pirate let out a mocking chuckle. “Apologies, Your Majesty. Tell me what you know about the bloody map.”

Harry only rolled his eyes. “If I tell you, what's in it for me?” He asked.

Louis grinned. “If you give me what I want, I'll grant you safe passage to wherever you wish to go.” He said. “Only if I'm satisfied with your answer. I can tell if someone is lying, mate. So be careful with your answer.” He smoothed his hook against Harry's chest. “I'm sure you'll make the right decision.”

Harry's lips parted as he heard the offer. A safe passage? To save Belle? He's already taking the offer.

Harry played it off like the offer didn't mean that much to him and started speaking. “It's the Reaper's Map. I've read about this before.” He said, taking the map from Mr. Smee and displaying it in front of him. “It's said to hold four different chests filled with treasure and diamonds and gold. You're after that?” Harry asked. “No one has ever found it because the map was never found. It was kept hidden. Makes me very curious onto how you managed to get a hold of it.”

“I'm one hell of a Captain, Prince Charming. I get what I want.” He smiled, his long black leather jacket hugged his body and showed off his figure quite nicely, Harry was so distracted by him. He oozed with charm the moment Harry met him, it was nearly impossible not to be charmed with the way he carries himself. But the Prince chooses not to express himself, it'd be ridiculous of him to do so.

“What are we doing wrong, then? We followed all the steps and even decoded all the codes.” He scoffed.

Harry just sighed at the pirate's impatience. “That's because the one who made the map made the codes to deceive people. If you decoded it, the things you got are actually the opposite of what it really means.” Harry pointed out, the pad of his finger sliding against the old paper of the treasure map. “You're going to opposite direction this whole time, ever since you started to follow this map.” He said.

Louis was at loss of words, in shock even. He knew that the Prince was telling the truth.

From the pirate's reaction, Harry could only ask, “How long have you been following this map?”

“Almost half a year, we started at the cove where the map directed us.” Mr. Smee answered for the Captain, who didn't know what to say. All his hard work was gone. Travelling across different lands, gone. The Captain felt like an absolute failure.

Louis quickly composed himself. “Does that mean we have to go back? It'd take us twice the time we wasted to get here.” His voice was low, almost as if he was very angry and that really intimidated Harry now.

“Maybe, I do not know where we are. It depends on that-”

“Mr. Smee, turn the bloody ship around. We're going back to the cove and start again.” Louis started walking down the steps. “Harry Styles, you follow me.”

Harry just quietly followed behind him, giving Mr. Smee an apologetic smile as he followed the Captain of the ship towards his room. He closed the door behind him and watched the Captain stand in the middle of the room. It was like he was radiating with anger, that he can't believe they have to start again.

“Where is it you wish to be taken?” Louis mumbled, looking through the neatly organized shelf and found some bottle of a drink, probably rum.

Harry bit his lip, playing with the end of his nails. He felt nervous and he has no idea why, but he gathered all his confidence. He has to think about Belle and what she might be going through. “I want to be taken to the Dark One's palace.”

And just like that, the pirate's movements stopped. It was silent for a while and it felt like Harry's body froze when he heard Louis's voice. “Who?”

Harry winced. “The Dark One? Rumpel-”

“Don't say his actual name in my bloody ship, mate.” Louis groaned and turn to walk towards his bed. “And why would you ever want to go to his castle? Whole bloody being is a nut job.” He expressed his annoyance.

It was really odd, the first time he heard Harry talk about him, and he sounded shocked and almost fuming. But now, it's like he doesn't even care about the Dark One at all. It's really interesting how easy it is for the Captain to hide his true emotions, Harry wonders what kind of secrets he keeps.

“I don't think it was ever part of our deal for me to talk of my business in the Dark One's lair.” He muttered.

“Fine, don't tell me then.” Louis shrugged, drinking his rum.

The Prince pressed his lips together and sat down on the sofa. He was hesitating whether or not he should tell Louis. The pirate seemed curious, even when he tries to hide it.

Harry looked down at his lap. “He took my friend from me, she was his price for a deal.”

“Do I sound like I care?”

Harry chuckled. “You did ask first.”

His statement quieted the pirate, made him feel successful. “What was the deal he proposed? I figure it was something big for him to just take her.” The pirate said.

The Prince smiled a little bit, it was honestly relieving to know that him and the Captain were actually having a civilized conversation for the first time. “He didn't take her. She offered to go. It was to save the kingdom from the ogres.” Harry quietly said. Belle will always be more of a ruler than Harry ever will.

“Then what's the problem? She offered to go.”

Harry shook his head. “The Dark One is dangerous, he could hurt her.”

Louis just laughed. “She could already be dead.” He bluntly said. “The Dark One isn't a very sentimental person.” He pointed out.

His bluntness stroke Harry's hope, but he was determined. He can feel that Belle is alive, which probably does not even make any sense but he does feel it.

“She's alive, I know it.”

“Well, forgive me, Your Highness. The Dark One and I aren't exactly of acquaintance. I know what he can do, I've seen it.” He said.

From his tone, Harry could tell. “You lost someone.” He mumbled.

The pirate was quiet for a while before Harry heard the flask being put down. “Aren't you supposed to clean the ship or something?”

Subject change, Harry understood that. It was probably something Captain Hook doesn't want to talk about. So, Harry went along with it and hummed. “I'm done already, and I do believe someone is granting me safe passage to the Dark One's castle? I think chores are off the list now.” He said with a grin.

Louis laughed, it was a genuine one this time. It was the first time Harry heard him laugh and not in a sarcastic way, it was truly an exquisite sound. “I granted safe passage, not a kingdom. You cleaned my room in the first place, now it's freakishly clean but messy in my eyes. I liked it better before, Your Highness.” He said, standing up and looking through the shelves again, maybe for another bottle to pour into his flask. How much does he even drink?

Harry's eyes followed the pirate who only hummed. “To pass time, you should tell me about how you ended up in my ship in the first place.” He said before walking towards the boy and handed him a drink.

Harry only hesitated but refusing the man might annoy him so he just accepted the drink and shrugged. “I was being chased by the Queen's men. Saw your boat and hopped inside.”

“Ship, it's a ship.” Louis corrected him.

Harry just stared blankly at him. “What's the difference.”

“I don't bloody know, boats sound small and weak. The Jolly Roger is the fastest ship in all the realms. Deserves to be called more than a boat.” Louis kept drinking his rum. “Why were the guards after you anyway? You don't seem like the type to kill a person, no offense.” He said.

Harry shrugged. “None taken. It's great that people don't see me as a criminal.” He said and raised the cup to drink, before spitting it out in surprise. “What was that?” He winced in disgust.

Louis raised his brows. “What I'm drinking.”

Harry coughed and shook his head at him. He can't believe this is what he drinks every chance he gets to.

“Keep talking, or whatever it is you do.” Louis said as he drank from his flask.

Harry put his drink away and wiped his mouth. “People think that I killed my father. Which I didn't.” He said. “The Queen actually poisoned me and the spell made me do something I would never think of doing.” He finished as he put his feet up on the flat and uncomfortable sofa.

Louis stared at him for a second. “So.. you don't remember?” He asked him. “About what you did for a short span of time you were under that spell?”

“No, not one bit. It was like taking one bite of an apple and waking up to someone who tells me it's been a week since I've ever been at the castle.” Harry said. “A whole week was blank in my mind, it's really odd.” He said. “It's like being alive but not being awake.”

The pirate actually wanted to help. He had something that he knew could help the Prince remember but he was going to use it for something else. So, he chose not to speak.

“Aye, sounds like a tough one.” He said.

Harry just looked at his own hands and just like that, the conversation was over.

♔

The next few days were confusing for Harry. He's observed so many things about Hook. Like the way he keeps bottles of rum hidden away behind a shelf, the way he speaks with his crew with such authority and strictness, but the crew still views him as a marvelous leader even though he speaks with vulgar words. To Hook, the Prince was a little bit uptight but he was carefree when he needs to be. Just the other day, the pirate watched the Prince put his hands up and yell out into the sea, feeling like he was finally free from the chains of royalty. They got to know each other a lot better, but indirectly.

There wasn't much talking between them, but there was a lot of staring and Harry always felt eyes on him. Usually, it wouldn't bother him since he's a Prince and people look at him all the time. He doesn't know why, but it's a huge difference when the pirate is the one who looks at him.

It was a cold night. Harry just leaned his forearms over the railings as he stared at the sea. His hair was flying behind him through the wind and the sound of the boat swaying along with the waves filled his ears. It was cold, yes, but it was relaxing all the same. All he could really think of was Belle and how much she's going through. He can't imagine what pain she's feeling being in the same area as Rumpelstiltskin. His skin crawled at the thought of him. Harry's mind took him to the apple that was given to him by his stepmother. He felt the guilt seep through him knowing that he was the one that took his father's life, and wasn't even aware of it. His father was a good king, and Harry found it so hard to convince himself that it wasn't his fault, that the Queen made him do it.

“What are you doing up 'ere?” Harry immediately turned and saw the one-handed pirate stepping up the stairs to go near him. “Thought you were already in the room.”

Harry bit his lip and watched the man move towards him. “I um.. couldn't really sleep.” He softly said and turned back to the ocean. “Have too much in my mind.”

Louis hummed and placed his hook on the wooden railing, tracing the lines with it. “I suppose this is about your lady friend?”

“Yeah, I can't really stop thinking of her. She must be going through so much.” He sighed and shook his head. “I just wish I could've done something.”

Louis pressed his lips together. “And does she feel the same way you do her?”

Harry raised his brows at the pirate and laughed. “That's not how it is between Belle and I! She's my best friend since I was a child.” He laughed out.

Hook just shrugged. “You seem to care for her a lot.”

“Caring for someone does not necessarily mean I look at them more than I do for a friend. There's a difference between romantic love and just being kind.” He told the pirate who just slowly nodded. “And for the record, even if I did have feelings for her. I cannot marry her. I'm already betrothed to some Princess. Well.. was.”

“Huh. Who would've thought?” He sarcastically said, taking out his flask of rum. “Royalty and their arranged marriages. Who was this lass?”

“Haven't met her. And I probably won't, since the Queen is set to kill me anyway. Can't really go back.” He said.

“Why won't you fight back and take your kingdom back?”

“Are you giving me advice, Mister Hook?” Harry cheekily said.

Louis had a smug look on his face, opening his arms to emphasize himself even more. “Course I am, I'm supposed to give you safe passage while you help me find my treasure, Mister Charming. The least I could do is speak my righteous thoughts.”

Harry let out a laugh. “Is there anything about a pirate that is righteous?”

Louis smirked. “Wouldn't you want to find out?” He said. “You haven't answered my question, Charming.”

The Prince only huffed. “The Queen has magic, I can't fight back without some too. I'll be powerless.”

“Have a little faith, mate. Isn't that what Princes is about? Having hope and all that bloody mess?”

Harry let out another laugh. “I am charmed to know that you stereotype me with other Princes just because I am one.”

Hook just pursed his lips and shrugged. “All the Princes I've met are snobs. That's why I steal from them all, they don't deserve those treasures, and they should be earned and not given. I've traveled far and wide and multiple times to seek treasure and they get fed by spoons with it all.”

Harry frowned. “Is that really how you view royalty?”

“From my own observation, yes.” Louis put his arms behind his back and started to walk. “I've met no kind royal. All of them are snotty and snobs who love ordering people around just for the heck of it.” He muttered.

“Clearly, you haven't been to my kingdom yet.” Harry crossed his arms. “My mother and father were the kindest rulers, the whole village adored them.” He told Louis as a matter of factly. “They're what I aspire to be, the best ruler to my kingdom.”

Louis thought about it for a while. “Your kingdom is probably not near the ocean, or more likely surrounded by it. I doubt that I stopped by.” He told him. “And what do you mean 'were'? Are both your parents dead? I thought you hated your mother.”

Harry flinched at his words, reminding him of the time he can't remember. Another trait he observed within Louis is that he's never afraid to say what he wants to say, no matter how blunt he sounds. Harry's not even sure if Louis is even aware of his bluntness. “I've told you before, she's not my mother. And I don't hate her. I just.. I don't understand her. I can't see why we can't sit down and talk about this, and that it has to end up this way.” Harry explained, feeling the cold air wrap around him and making him shiver.

Louis noticed this and gave him a big blanket near the helm, immediately talking to avoid hearing the Prince thank him. “And your father? What of him?”

Harry pressed his lips together as he took the piece of cloth from Hook. He still thanked the Captain but it was overshadowed by the man's voice. “My father is dead.” He softly said. “I.. I killed him.”

After that, the only sound that could be heard was the soft gust of the wind and the swaying of the waves and ships sail.

“Why would you do such a thing?” He spoke as if it didn't bother him for a second, as if it was normal for him. “I thought he was a good king as you said.”

Harry's eyes brimmed with tears and it made him look away, not wanting to seem weak in front of a ship's Captain, wrapping the blanket around himself even more. “Yes, and I took that away from him by taking his life. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't know that the apple I ate was poisoned. If I knew, I never would've taken a bite of that fruit.” He whispered but the Captain heard it all, and the soft part of him grieved for the boy.

Louis just looked at Harry with an apologetic look. “So.. this Belle girl is the only one you have left, I assume?”

Harry almost whimpered, he felt so alone upon hearing those words. “Yes, and I have to get to her. She is my only hope of being happy again.”

“You speak as though the maiden is dead, she's alive, isn't she?”

Harry grinned, quietly sniffling. “It's nice to see you optimistic for the first time.”

Louis just let out a short laugh. “Forgive me, Charming. I've been realistic.” He tapped the metal of his hook against the wood before walking away. Harry almost felt crushed when he realized that the conversation was over, he still wanted to talk but he does feel tired as well.

“I have a name, you know.” Harry called out and watched the man walk away from him.

“Still don't care, Charming.”

Harry would feel offended but knowing a portion of Hook's personality, he says things that he sometimes don't mean. So Harry doesn't feel the need to be offended, he knew that Hook was trying to seem brave and hard-hearted.

So that night, Harry was soundly asleep on an uncomfortable wooden sofa while Louis lay awake, feeling guilt form inside him. He should not be keeping this boy until he finds his treasure, he should take him to land and let him continue his journey. Louis should be unselfish for once, for the poor boy's sake. But he feared that letting the boy go would seem soft to his crew and turn against him, he is not about to lose a whole crew due to a boy he wanted to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll explain here how royalty works in the story, to make it clear.
> 
> So, in this story, there are two parts of the realm that the characters live in; the North and the South. Prince Harry is the son of King Solomon and the late Queen Anastasia, or Queen Anne. His parents are the rulers of the North, which makes Harry a Prince of the North. But, the North is divided in two kingdoms; King Solomon's kingdom (Mist Haven) and Queen Aurora's kingdom (Mallow Rose). With Queen Aurora, she has four sons and no daughter. The two kingdoms formed alliances, so it's a peaceful kingdom. 
> 
> The South, however, isn't very peaceful with their scattered kingdoms and numerous Kings and Queens even though their land isn't as big as the North. Rumpelstiltskin's castle is located at the South of the realm.
> 
> Royals are the ones who are rich and powerful. Peasants are the ones who live in villages or serve in the palace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: harry was introduced as the prince of the richest and most influential kingdom of their realm. his mother died of an illness when he was a child, and his father remarried a year later to the woman harry knows as his stepmother. belle is harry's lifelong friend and assistant, he trusts her. when ogres invaded their kingdom, harry found himself trapped between the dark one and the queen, where he learned a prophecy about him but never found out what it really meant. rumpelstiltskin proposed that he will make their kingdom safe in exchange for belle, and the lady offered to go to save the kingdom. harry, now setting his goal to get her back, trained to face the dark one and fight for her. the queen gave him an apple from his tree and he blacked out, only to wake up in a forest where he met niall, the huntsman. niall let him go and he ran off until he reached a tavern. he was soon recognized by people who wanted to take his heart and give it to the queen in exchange for riches so he ran off again and ended up in a ship, captained by louis tomlinson. louis and harry make a deal and the prince remained aboard. harry was determined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning: sexual assault

After that night, the two of them barely talked.

“Do you notice something rather odd about him, Captain?” His first mate's voice took his attention away from how he was looking at Harry, who was eating something that one of the members of his crew made, masking his distasteful expression so he won't offend the ship's somewhat chef. The scene almost placed a soft smile on the pirate's face but he was pulled away from his thoughts.

Louis glanced at Mr. Smee. “He's only odd to us because he isn't like us. He's not a pirate, Smee.” He clarified, hand and hook on the helm to stir properly. “And pirates are what we're used to.” Louis said. “Stir the helm, would you? We've wasted enough time.”

Smee only chuckled. “Thank heavens that the boy came to our ship, Captain. We would've remained in the wrong direction if it wasn't for him.”

Louis just bit his lip, nodding to agree with what he said. Smee was the optimistic one in the ship, he was the one who watched over Louis and is always there when he needs him. They've been mates since Louis can remember, and Smee has been Hook's first mate even before he lost his hand, when he still went by Captain Tomlinson. Even though Louis can't admit it out loud, he would be nowhere without Smee by his side.

Louis made his way to his crew, who were eating breakfast. When Harry saw Louis, he immediately swallowed the awful tasting food and sighed.

The Captain hummed. “You seem to be enjoying your meal quite nicely, Prince Charming. Is it better than your meals in the palace?” He joked and made the men snicker around him.

To them, this was probably the norm. Harry wasn't quite keen to eating squid so he only ate the vegetables, since he doesn't eat meat. The vegetables were poorly cooked, but maybe the men around him can tolerate the taste.

Harry stammered a bit. “Uh.. yes, it's quite alright.” He lied and looked down at his lap.

One of the members, Jonathan, only laughed loudly. “Clearly, the Prince thinks he's much better! What, with a silver spoon in his mouth since he was conceived? I doubt that he touched a single pan in his life.” He claimed and the others agreed. “Princes needn't lift a finger, now do they?”

Harry wanted to defend himself but he was cut off by Hook. “Everyone, settle down.” He calmly said, posture was straight and confident. “How about we let our Princey here do the cooking?” He snickered. “You know how to cook, now do you, Charming?”

Harry nodded, to show others that he knows how to cook. “Yes, of course! I owned a garden and I-”

“We don't give a rat's ass about your bloody garden,” he was waved off by one of the men.

Louis just saw the hurt expression on Harry's face. This boy really does wear his heart on his sleeve. “Harry, go onto the kitchen and start cooking our lunch, you'll find a lot of ingredients Smee picked out from the market. Make yourself busy for once.” He let of a scoff, before fixing his leather jacket around his body and turning back around to go to the helm where Smee looked disappointed at him.

Harry just didn't say a word and went to follow a man to the small room they consider a kitchen.

Louis chuckled to himself, feeling satisfied about the whole situation.

“You could try to be nicer to him, Captain.”

Louis laughed. “You didn't seem that way when you offered to sell him out to his stepmum.”

“I let my needs cloud my judgment, that boy Harry is quite nice and kind, he's very helpful so far, you can't deny that.” Smee pointed out to him. “He's charming too, isn't he?”

Something boiled inside Louis' stomach upon hearing those last few words from his first mate. “Get back to work, Smee. I don't have time for your bickering.” Louis pulled out his spyglass to look out into the ocean to pretend like he didn’t hear what Mr. Smee said.

“Whatever you say, Captain.”

Louis huffed and pushed the lenses back to its place and putting the spyglass back to his pocket inside the jacket he wore. He can't believe that Harry is winning Smee over already. The Captain only felt annoyed by the whole situation, he just wished that Smee was a tad bit cold hearted, not this soft being who actually enjoys the boy's company.

Time passed by and all of a sudden, there was this alluring smell coming from one of the rooms.

“What's that?” One of the crew, Marcus, asked. “Smells delicious.”

The Captain only furrowed his brows and went down from the helm's area, only to be greeted by that delicious and nostalgic smell coming from the kitchen. The whole crew grew curious, and they realized that it was the Prince's doing.

Harry opened the door and brought a big pot, putting it on the small table they had.

The men immediately went to the pot, grabbing their dirty bowls and exclaiming to themselves.

The Prince quickly put himself between the men and the pot. “Hold on! Have any of you washed your hands and kitchenware?” Harry asked, putting his fists on his hips, looking at them in disappointment. “Where are any of your manners?”

To Louis' surprise, the men looked at each other and then their hands. It was ridiculous, the Prince seemed very bothered by the dirty hands.

“I will not let anyone have any of my vegetable soup unless they have clean hands and bowls. Now, off you all go.” Harry held an odd authority over Louis' crew and it made the Captain roll his eyes.

The men only laughed and brushed it off before stepping closer, but Harry only grabbed the pot and slightly tipped it over. “I wouldn't mind scrubbing this deliciousness off the floor, but it would be a shame for it to go to waste just because none of you wish to wash your dirty hands and whatnot. Absolute shame.” Harry said, the whole scene was ridiculous for Louis. The man knew that this Prince would never waste food. It was honestly amusing to watch his men actually considering their options like headless chickens.

“This is bloody ridiculous, is everyone seriously-”

And it was as if nobody heard Captain Hook. The whole crew went to where the tub of water was, to wash all their things and hands individually. It was messy, if Harry was to comment, but he doesn't mind that.

“Everyone!” Louis yelled and made the men stop their movements. The Captain walked towards them with an annoyed look on his face. “Are you all seriously going to do what this wretched Prince wants you to do?” He asked as if it was the most ridiculous thing he has ever witnessed. “You're pirates and he knows nothing more than we do.” He told them.

Mr. Smee watched from the corner, feeling even more disappointed with his Captain. Harry felt even smaller, he can't believe he made himself think that he can make these people do something. He's not even doing it for himself, he just wants them to eat with clean hands. But apparently, it's against a pirate code that they all have.

Louis just rolled his eyes and looked at his first mate. “Take him to his room, we'll take it from here.” He dismissed Mr. Smee and signaled the crew to go have some of the soup Harry made.

“Come on now, Harry. Let's get you to bed.” He softly told him, leading him to where he slept.

Harry bowed his head and felt shameful. “I.. I was just trying to help.” He gently said.

Mr. Smee tsked. “I understand that, Your Highness.” He told him.

“I thought there were no Princes and Princesses in this ship.” He muttered as he descended down the steps into the Captain's room.

Smee only chuckled. “That was just an odd rule the pirates made.”

Harry furrowed his brows. “The pirates? You're not one of them? You're the first mate.” He sat down on the wooden chair and leaned back.

He only shrugged. “I think of myself as the Captain's friend. Not a pirate who'd hurt people alongside him.” He said. “Shall I get you some soup? I'm hoping there's still some left.”

The Prince shook his head with a smile. “I'm okay, thank you.” He softly said. “Can we just talk? I haven't had a proper conversation with someone nice in days.” Harry weakly smiled, still thinking of the degrading words Louis said earlier.

The man only nodded. “Alright, Your Highness.”

“You can just call me Harry, you know?” He ran his hand through his long hair and wiped his cheeks from any dirt. “What about you? What's your first name? He always calls you by Mr. Smee and not by your first name.”

Smee's lips parted in conflict. “Oh, um.. it's because I had a troubled past about my name. Mr. Smee is a nickname made when I was a child.” He said.

Harry frowned. “I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me.”

“It's Liam, my real name is Liam.” He said and looked at the door in case someone comes down, such as the Captain himself. “But I would most prefer to be called Smee.”

Harry slowly nodded, choosing to not ask more questions because he might annoy him. “I didn't want to remind you of a tragic time.” He softly said.

Liam just smiled. “It's okay. I've moved on.” He said. “I still do not understand about your situation though. Why is the queen after you?” He asked.

Harry pressed his lips together. “I wish I could answer you, I do not know why myself.” He told him. “I just know that she wants to kill me, but.. that's it. I just wish we could've talked about it instead of this situation, you know?” He mumbled and Liam looked at him with sympathy. The man has no idea what the boy is going through.

“I apologize on behalf of our Captain's behavior.” Liam slowly said.

“It's okay.”

“He's not exactly the best with handling his emotions.”

“I can handle him.” Harry said. “I'm not going to let him shatter my hope.” He said. “I just need to help him find his treasure and he can take me back to land and he and I don't have to see each other again. I'll be out of his life forever.” Harry muttered and played with the hem of his dirty shirt.

Liam nodded. “I understand, Harry.” He made his way to the door but stopping before climbing. “The Captain isn't so bad. He has his times, yes, but he also has his nice times. You'll see that soon, I can guarantee it.” He offered him a smile before going back to the docks and closing the door behind him.

Harry kept his words in his mind, hoping that it would happen soon. He lied back down on the couch to try to get some sleep. He could barely sleep last night, too afraid that the queen would come and kill him. He's living in fear now, and he does not even have any clue as to why this was happening in the first place.

Meanwhile, the Captain sailed the ship until night, where another crew member will takeover. Smee walked towards him and offered him soup that he heated. “You must be hungry, Captain.” He said and offered him the bowl.

Louis looked at it. “No, I'm good.”

“It's only soup. It won't kill you, Cap'n.” Smee let out a laugh, in which Louis threw back with a roll of his eyes in annoyance. “It's really good. You never should've doubted the Prince. Not all royals lie around in beds all day, waiting to be fed.” He pointed out.

Louis raised his brows. “Are you here to lecture me? I don't have time for this, I need sleep.”

“Not lecturing you, my friend. Just pointing out some ideas. You never should've snapped at the boy.” Liam said. “He's been through enough.”

Louis huffed. “We've been through a lot. We sailed across the realm for nothing, now we're running out of time and you expect me to waste mine on him and his magical world?” He sarcastically said. “Absolutely not. I need that treasure.” He said.

“And that boy needs a home.” Liam sighed, putting down the soup on the table. “You're depriving him of one. Let's just sail to the nearest land and drop him off if you're that annoyed of his presence.” Liam said. “Or you could just be a little bit nicer to him, he'd be more comfortable with us.” He told him. “The poor boy was stripped off from the life he knew. You think he's been surrounded by pirates before? He's never even seen a bloody ship up close before, let alone be in one.” He crossed his arms. “I suggest you at least stop with this ridiculous act of yours and get to know him. We would be sailing to nowhere if it weren't for him. Show some gratitude, Louis.”

Louis frowned. “Why do I have to do that? Why can't you?” He asked.

Liam laughed. “I'm naturally nice, Louis. You try your hardest not to because you hate feeling weak.” He said. “I've told you many times that it wouldn't hurt to be nice once in a while. Don't forget about the deal you made with him, you're supposed to give him safe passage.” He fixed his hat on top of his head. “Have a goodnight, Captain.” Liam pat his back and went ahead to his own room.

Louis scoffed at the things he said. “I'm nice. What the bloody hell is his talking about?” He muttered under his breath. Louis looked at the bowl of soup, hesitating for a bit before picking up the bowl. He took the wooden spoon and smelled the soup, the smell of it gave him nostalgia. He tasted the soup and sighed, it was really good, reminding him of some memories he put at the back of his mind.

He finished the bowl in minutes, putting it away. The Captain made his way to his room and looked around, the Prince nowhere to be found. He was about to go look for him in the docks before the door opened from the side of the room.

Harry let out a yelp when he saw the man, hand on his chest. “You scared me,” he muttered and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Louis almost smiled in amusement but he kept his stone cold glare. “What were you doing? And.. what is that?” He used his hook to gesture towards what the Prince was wearing.

“I bathed.” Harry looked down at the baggy sack clothes he used, along with some pants made from potato sacks that were sown nicely. “Smee gave these for me to use.”

Louis raised his brows. “Smee? You asked clothes from Smee?” He asked like it was a ridiculous thing to do.

The Prince was conflicted. “I-is that a bad thing?” He asked.

“Of course there is, Smee doesn't know shit about clothes.” He went to his small drawers, pulling out some leather clothes and pants before giving them to the boy who slowly took them.

Harry looked at him with a confused look. The pirate was being oddly nice to him and it was honestly weird. “Thank you.” He said, wet hair still dripping on his shoulders and into the clothes he was wearing. Harry awkwardly stood there. “Uh, I should change here. It's wet in there. I dropped my clothes accidentally.” He sheepishly said.

Louis shrugged. “Go ahead, I'm going to sleep.” He said and pulled the hook out of its place, putting it on the nightstand. Harry was surprised he didn't ask him to unlace his shoes and did them himself. The pirate lied down, facing the direction of Harry who was still in his clothes.

“C-can you turn around?” Harry asked politely.

Louis grinned. “Why, is there something interesting on your body that you don't want me to see? Made me even curiouser.” He said.

“You used the word curiouser in the wrong way. Curiouser means strange. You may have meant 'even more curious', right?” Harry corrected him and made Louis let out a half scoff and half laugh. “And no, there's nothing interesting, it's just me without clothes on, so if you wouldn't mind.”

Louis had an amused expression on his face. “But I'm quite comfortable lying on my left side.”

Harry pouted. “I'll just go change in another room-”

“No.” Louis immediately said. “I mean, you can't.”

The boy had a confused look on his face. “And why not?”

“Because.”

Harry let out a small huff. “You could just turn around. If you did a few minutes ago, I would be wearing this already.” He crossed his arms.

Louis groaned, as if it made him feel annoyed by turning his back towards the boy, who grinned in success. Harry reached for the hem of his shirt and took it off his body to replace it with the one Louis gave him. They were quite comfortable to say the least, he was glad that Liam's clothing choice really bothered Louis.

“Are you bloody done? I can't stand lying on my left side.” The Captain complained.

“It's not my fault that the only place I can change is here, you wouldn't let me go to the other rooms to do so.” Harry said, putting the clothes from earlier on the chair, folding them neatly.

Louis turned his head and looked at the boy, observing how his big clothes fit the boy nicely and even exposed some curves that Louis never noticed before. He realized he was staring for too long when he saw the boy start cleaning the mess Louis made on the desk, rolling the maps and folding the dirty clothes Louis took off. Hook sighed, he probably should get used to a cleaner room, now that Harry's stuck here with him.

Louis turned to lie on his left side, dimming the light from the lamp. “I don't want you to leave this room at nighttime.” He said.

“And why is that? Is there something that's going to snatch me and take me?” Harry let out a giggle and Louis could hear him settling on his own little wooden sofa.

Hook only pressed his lips together, trying to ignore the bubbling feeling in his stomach upon hearing the sound of the Prince's laughter. “Don't be absurd, Charming.” He told him.

The boy just smiled to himself, Louis not being able to see it since they're both far away and lying on their own beds, sofa for Harry. “Charming is an awful nickname.” He said.

“I believe it's my specialty, giving people nicknames.”

Harry laughed. “Would you say that yours is quite unique, Mister Hook?”

“I do find myself quite unique, Charming.” He answered.

It was nice like this, just talking. Harry found it rather odd that these kinds of conversations only happen when the pirate is drunk or sleepy. He has no idea why he could be so mean to Harry while sober or wide awake. It was like he was a different person at nighttime. Harry wouldn't complain, as long as he still gets kindness from Louis, even in the smallest acts, he'll be content.

Harry stared at the ceiling, hands folded on his stomach while his curls was a mess on top of his head and on the wooden surface of the sofa. “Mr. Smee mentioned to me that it's not his real name. Did you come up with it?”

“Come up with what?”

“The nickname. Mr. Smee? Were you the one who called him that?”

Louis hesitated to answer, he hasn't had these types of conversations for a while now. Being surrounded by pirates who have too much pride in them, it's hard to find a genuine topic to talk about. Harry being here, Louis is starting to understand that this boy wore his heart on his sleeve and is very gentle with everything. Even when Louis starts complaining or yelling or saying and doing awful things to him, Harry only brushes it off and still tries to talk to the pirate. It was odd, if Louis was Harry, he'd stay the bloody hell away from himself.

“Yes, perhaps I did.” Louis quietly said.

The Prince let out a hum. “How did that happen? Mr. Smee isn't very common.”

Louis' lips curled up into a smile. “It was a funny story, Charming. And also an emotional one. Confusing too, I don't think you're ready yet.” He told him.

“I am, too, ready!” He huffed and sat on the sofa, resting his chin on his forearms while they were placed on the wood. “You can tell me, it sounds very interesting.”

The man let out a sigh, remembering what Liam told him earlier at the docks. Be nice to him, and try to get to know him better. “We were both children, I guess. I was around eight and Smee was eleven. We play hide and seek all the time. Our village was small so it wasn't very hard. Smee had a hard time pronouncing the letter S,” Louis paused to laugh, actually surprising himself that he still remembers the story. “So every time he says 'you'll never see me' to me as an eight year old, it would come out as 'shee me' which was actually very funny back then.” He said.

Harry looked at Louis with such wonderment, it took him to the time when he was listening to his mother's stories by the fireplace in the palace.

Louis didn't see the way Harry looked at him and continued his story. “I used to tease him a lot. Called him Smee all the bloody time.” He said. “The nickname wasn't official after wolves attacked our village.” His tone changed, and it made Harry frown.

The Prince recalled the tragedy Smee mentioned, it was safe to assume that it was very horrible by the tone of Louis' voice. “What happened?” Harry quietly said.

Louis wasn't sure if it was his place to tell, but he knew that Liam was nice and he has a soft spot for the Prince, so maybe the key points only. “Mr. Smee, well, Liam and I were both still children when they attacked. Killed everyone in our village, only five people lived, out of three hundred.” Louis muttered, Harry almost didn't hear it but he was glad that there were no other noise to be heard apart from the Captain's voice. “Liam watched his parents get torn apart by wolves.” He said and made Harry gasp in surprise and empathy. “Being a child and watching that happen and not able to do anything to save them, it can really fuck up a small one's mind.” He said. “Liam turned himself into Smee because his name was the only word his parents screamed while they were cut into by wolves' claws.”

Harry felt his eyes well up, he couldn't imagine experiencing that. Liam seemed to be a very lovely person too, which made Harry feel even sadder but he felt glad because witnessing that and still being able to be kind to everyone is something Harry admires in people.

A single tear slid down Harry's cheek and he quickly wiped it. “I-I'm so sorry, I had no idea.” He said, voice shaking a bit. Harry tends to be emotional when he hears things happening to real people. Situations like these is something Harry reads in storybooks, not hear in real life. It was heartbreaking, Harry definitely looked at the world more differently now. Tomorrow, he'll give Liam, or Mr. Smee, the biggest hug.

Louis just stayed quiet for a bit. “I..” he said and sighed, as if what he was about to say was so difficult to spit out. “I.. I'm-I apologize for what I did to you earlier. I shouldn't have yelled and talked about you like that.” He said.

Harry's eyes shone in relief as he smiled a bit. “It's okay, it's not a big deal.” He mumbled.

Louis still lied on his side, nodding to himself. “Alright. Get some rest now, Charming. You got your bedtime story, now pretend you're temporarily dead and sleep.”

Harry only let out a chuckle, which made Louis grin to himself because the boy laughed at his silly and lame joke. “Yes, Captain.” He playfully said and laid back down on his little bed.

Something about the way Harry said that made Louis' mouth go dry and an odd feeling erupt in his lower stomach. It made him swallow, what the hell is this boy doing to him?

The next morning, Harry awoke alone again. The Captain must've left early in the morning, like he always does. The boy sat up and stretched his arms with a yawn. It felt like he was a different person everyday he wakes up. Harry stood up and saw that the pirate's bed was unmade. Harry, being Harry, went towards it and started folding the sheets and fixing the positions of the pillows. He also started to sweep the floor, putting the collected dust into a small empty box that the Captain had. After he finished cleaning, he went to the docks, eyes squinting from the bright sun that greeted him as he opened the door. The Prince quickly saw the Captain talking to one of the crew members. Well, more like yelling at him.

“Good morning, Harry.” The Prince turned to his right and saw Liam grinning at him, hand in his pockets.

Harry remembered what Louis told him last night and without hesitating, he went over and gave him a big hug.

“Whoa,” Liam laughed and pat his back. “Alright. What's this for?”

Louis saw from the corner of his eye, head slowly turning to look at the boy hug his first mate. His brows furrowed in confusion and there was something odd that formed in the pit of his stomach. He ignored it and faced the man in front of him again.

“Good morning, Mr. Smee. And it's nothing, I'm just happy to be here.” He smiled back before pulling away and stepping back. “What's happening over there?” He gestured to where their Captain seemed angry at a crew member.

Liam sighed, he acted as if what happened was normal to him and that made Harry feel relieved. “It's the Captain being the Captain, my guess. I'm not even sure what Leo did.” He answered, looking over his shoulder to watch Louis look frustrated.

Prince Harry just crossed his arms, a little cold from the breeze. “It's a bit too early for that, don't you think?”

Liam nodded. “Yes, but it happens a lot. It's not out of the norm anymore.”

Hook seemed like he was done, just turning away from the other man and walking away, Leo walking off to the opposite side of the ship.

“Bloody useless,” he muttered under his breath. “Harry!” He raised his voice and the Prince immediately went towards him, the Captain just brushing his palm against his own scruff.

Harry laced his fingers together and stood in front of Louis. “Yes?”

Upon seeing the boy look a little sleepy from just waking up, hair looking like a mess on his head and his cheeks were flushed from the cold, Louis softened his expression. “Make us breakfast, yeah? I'm bloody hungry.” He simply said, tearing his eyes from the boy and walking past him to go to the helm's area.

“Yes! Of course, Captain.” He cheerfully said and went to the kitchen to start cooking them food.

Louis just sighed, a cloud of his breath appearing from the cold air around him. He climbed the stairs and saw Liam grinning at him.

“I saw that.”

The Captain only scoffed, pushing Liam away from the helm so he'd take charge, not pushing too hard though. “Saw what?”

Liam rolled his eyes. “The way you talked to him, he seemed pretty excited. For once, you were nice to Harry.” He clarified.

“Mhm.” The Captain pretended not to listen as he held the helm that controlled the ship.

It was silent for a minute between them, Louis found himself constantly looking at the door when Harry was currently cooking in. It was ridiculous, he tried to stop himself but deep inside him, he was waiting for Harry to come out and he'll have an excuse to talk to the boy again.

A smiled crept into Liam's face. “You like him.” He accused the Captain with an amused expression on his face.

“What?” Louis scoffed. “You accusations are mind-blowing, Smee. Honestly.”

Liam just laughed. “No, no.” He shook his head while raising his pointer finger to point at him briefly. “You like this boy.”

Louis just rolled his eyes. “That's very funny.” His voice laced with boredom.

“Oh come on. I see the way you look at him. You could at least admi-”

“I said bloody drop it, Liam!” Louis slammed his hook against the surface of the helm.

Liam flinched at the sound of his name, silencing himself. His panic attacks stopped years ago, but his small triggers never did. He knew that Louis only said it out of anger, but it still hurt Liam that Louis would use his lowest points to get back at him.

Louis just groaned. “You bloody take charge of the helm, Liam. Everyone just bloody annoys me in the morning, and now you're accusing me of shit, it's so tiring.” He took his anger out of Liam and just walked away and back to his room.

Liam just swallowed and let out a breath, hands finding their way to control the wheel.

On the other hand, Harry took about an hour making breakfast for the whole ship, it's really hard to cook for more than ten men. Harry only ever cooked for himself and Belle when they were both learning in the grand kitchen. When he was done, he served the food onto a big pot which he placed onto a table. He took a plate and filled it with food to bring the Captain.

“Um, excuse me?” He talked to one of the men.

He didn't notice the way that man looked at him, licking his lips at the sight of Harry's tiny waist and the innocent aura he had floating around him. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Can you tell everyone to eat? I-I made some breakf-”

“Hey!” He yelled and caught the men's attention. “The bitch made some food, now I suggest everyone who's hungry to eat.” He said.

Harry pressed his lips together and looked down at his feet as he was pushed by the men who bumped into him by walking past the boy. He can't really tell him off from addressing him in such a degrading way, he didn't want to start a fight.

After squeezing through the crew, Harry walked up to the stairs and only saw Liam controlling the helm. “I made some breakfast, Smee. Go eat before it's all gone, yeah?” He softly said, still thinking about the degrading words spoken about him just earlier. “Have you see Captain Hook?”

Harry could see the disappointment on his face. “He's in his room, Your Highness.”

The Prince only frowned. “Is there something wrong?”

“No, of course not.” He shook his head. “Go ahead and bring him his food.”

Harry's cheeks flamed, he was sure that it was from the cold. “I-I wasn't-”

Liam only smiled. “You're good to him, Harry. He's never had that before.” He told the Prince.

Harry looked at him in confusion. Of course Harry's good to him, he's practically nice to everyone. He doesn't understand what Liam was trying to say. “What do you mean by that?” He asked.

He shook his head. “It's nothing, go to his room now. He's hungry.”

Harry, oblivious as he was, chose to not ask any more questions and just nodded before stepping down the stairs and walking to the door that led to the Captain's room. He descended down the stairs and saw Louis sitting at his desk, writing on a map. Hook heard Harry come inside, making him turn his head over his shoulder to see him.

“I.. I brought you some food.” Harry walked towards the desk.

He didn't know what happened but he did hear himself yelp as he tripped over the carpet and fell, some of the food ending up on the ground and some on the paper Louis was writing on.

“Shit!” Louis immediately stood up and looked down at the paper. “Fuck! Bloody hell!” His voice boomed through the small space of the room, and it made Harry flinch and whimper. “I spent an hour writing the bloody directions of where we're going and you bloody ruined it all!” He exclaimed and made Harry's eyes well up, he wasn't used to all these yelling, it was so calm where he came from.

The Prince whimpered again, this time, Louis heard it and stopped himself from continuing to yell.

Harry couldn't stop the feeling of wanting to go home but home to where? Home to the Queen who wanted to kill him for a god forsaken reason? Home to where he became an orphan? Home to the forest where he had the trees as his only friends? What home can he possibly go back to when he has nothing? The more he thought about this, the wetter his cheeks became.

Louis just stood there, completely forgetting the notes he just made. He just focused on the Prince who broke down for the first time ever since he got here. He's been here for almost two weeks now, and this was the first time he really let himself go. Louis wasn't really sure what to do, but he did feel guilty from yelling at him so much for the past week. Now here he was, watching a clueless boy breakdown in front of him.

Harry's cheeks were wet as he wept, voice soft and gentle like he was. Tears were hot on his face, it warmed him up from the cold.

Louis slowly crouched down. “What do you need, Harry?”

The Prince just shook his head. “I don't know anymore.” Harry wiped his cheeks and sniffled. “At least you were right.”

Louis looked at him in confusion. “About what?”

Harry looked at him, eyes still teary and red. “What you said to me the first day I got here.” He mumbled. “I.. I just want to go home.” The Prince said. “But there's nothing to go home to, I have nothing and no one.” He sniffled and looked down at his lap.

Louis frowned. He didn't mean what he said, in all honesty. He only said that as a scare tactic, but he wasn't actually going to torture him. Or maybe their ideas of torture are different, who knows.

Harry calmed himself down after a minute and now they're both sat on the floor next to the food that was dropped on the ground. “My mother, my real mother, used to tell me that if I'm kind to people, I'll get the same kindness back. I just have to never forget about having hope.” He quietly said. “That's all what I've been doing here and the only person who's been nice to me is Liam.”

Louis frowned at that. He's been kind to him too, maybe he's been mad at him more than he was kind but still. “Pirates aren't really know for their kindness, Charming.”

“Is that why you're unkind most of the time? Because that's apparently what a pirate should do?” He asked. “What about what you want?”

Louis shrugged. “I'm a pirate, I want what pirates want. Treasure, women, a very nice ship and a strong crew.” He said.

“You don't like being kind then?” Harry asked. “That doesn't seem right. Everyone has a natural kindness, some just don't channel it very often.”

The Captain wondered why they were having this ridiculous conversation in the first place. “Kindness won't make you win a crew.” He told him. “Authority does. If you can show people how strong and independent you are, you'll be followed.” He said.

Harry tilted his head. “A Prince wouldn't yell at people who work for the castle though. I would never do that, yet people still follow.” He softly said.

Louis thought about it for a while. “It's different between pirates though. We're thieves. We rob ships for treasure and anyone who pass by, we take from them. Being soft isn't an ideal trait of a pirate.” He said. “Take a look at the crew, surely one or two or more of them have given you a hard time already. It's their way to show that no one can walk over me. And you being royal blood gives them bonuses.” He said. “And they crave a ruthless leader, such as I. I'd like to keep up with my image.” Louis looked down at his hook.

Maybe that's why he's always so mean to him whenever they're outside, he doesn't want to ruin his image for the crew. Harry was starting to understand now, but he empathizes the man. This was never his father's way of ruling. He spreads the meaning of kindness as does Harry. The Prince wouldn't want to feel trapped in a persona that wasn't him in order to please a group of men.

“Are you feeling alright now?” Hook asked him.

The Prince nodded, but didn't really talk about it. He did not want to seem like he was being an attention seeker by crying his eyes out so he chose not to speak about it. Harry's eyes followed where Louis was looking at his hook. “How did you lose your hand?” He quietly asked.

Louis only chuckled and stood up. “That's enough storytelling for you. Honestly, we tell stories every time we get to talk.”

Harry stood up as well. “I'm very sorry about your paper. I didn't mean to trip.”

Hook just sighed, still upset over it. “It's just a paper, and no one would fall over on purpose so I get it. I'll just rewrite it, it's fine.” He said in an understanding tone, which made Harry bite his lip, just staring at Louis. There was tension in the air, but Harry wasn't sure what it was. He just felt his body burn whenever he catches Louis' eyes staring.

“Okay,” he quietly said as he took a dirty rag and a box to clean up the mess he had made, still a tad bit curious about the lost hand of Louis'. “How come you never share stuff about you to me?” He asked.

Louis just sat on his desk again. “I'm not one to share information about myself to people, Charming. Thought you caught onto that already. Just feels odd talking about myself.” He said before he started to write on his journal again.

Harry put down his cleaning tools and sat on the sofa he treated as a bed. “It's nice to share stuff about yourself once in a while.”

The pirate only scoffed with a laugh. “Maybe for someone like you. You're like.. nice and everything.”

Harry smiled. “You think I'm nice?”

Louis' fist clench, a little embarrassed that he even used the word as if it physically hurt him to compliment others. “You know what I mean. You're not like us pirates. You're good and everyone loves you. Whereas pirates are bad and people turn away from them, but they can also fear them.” Louis stared at the words he was writing, copying the one he wrote earlier.

“It's not very nice to rule a kingdom who fears you.” Harry muttered. “My stepmother seems like that is what she wants, but I do honestly think that the villagers aren't keen with her.”

“Yeah, as if trying to kill a Prince isn't enough for them not to be keen with her.”

The Prince frowned, still so confused about the while situation. If a few months ago, someone tells him he'd end up in a pirate ship after being chased down by Royal Guards who were commanded by a queen who wishes for the Prince to be killed; Harry would tell them they're insane. “I want to believe that she and I can fix this. My stepmother used to be so kind to me.” He softly said, not liking how their topics always shift towards him and avoid anything from Louis. “What about you? D'you have any family?” He asked.

The Captain only let out a sigh. “Do you always ask this many questions?”

The Prince's cheeks reddened, fingers lacing together in a shy manner. “I would say it's a habit of mine.” He gently said.

Louis tilted his head. “You've done it many times during your time here. I don't know why it's so important for you to know pointless things about me.”

“I'm sorry,” he quietly said. “I'll refrain from asking too many questions, then. I don't want to bother you.” He calmly said and sat back down.

Louis wasn't used to this. Liam was the only person he ever talks to, and the man is always persistent with things. But with Harry, he'll just does what's best for both of them. He always tries not to annoy Louis, which he sometimes fails at but at least he still tries. Maybe Harry was still adjusting to his new environment, Louis would feel lost as well if he lived inside a palace for several weeks.

The pirate heard the boy stand up and start walking up the stairs, which made him turn his head. He wanted to ask where he was going but he figured that he was just going to Liam, so he turned back to his work and continued rewriting.

Harry, on the other hand, felt hungry and decided to grab something to eat for both himself and for Louis too. He walked towards the small kitchen and grabbed some bread, briefly seeing Liam from afar at the helm just using a spyglass to look over the sea. Harry was about to leave the kitchen when he was blocked by a tall and built man who pushed him back inside.

“Hey, baby.” He licked his lips and put his hands on Harry's hips, making him feel so uncomfortable.

Harry tried moving away but the man was too strong and kept insisting while leaning his head into Harry's neck to inhale his scent. “G-get off, what are you doing?” He tilted his head away.

“Trying to have some fun, you look like you could use some.” Harry could see the smirk on the man's face from the dim light of a small lamp.

The Prince had no idea what that meant, but he did not like it one bit. “Get away from me!” His voice was shaking as he tried to push the man away, but he was persistent.

The man just snickered at him, grabbing his ass and made him squirm uncomfortably. He squeezed and spanked him, making Harry yelp in surprise before he was let go. He was left alone in the kitchen, feeling so violated. He felt so terrified, not having any idea what might happen next. He was still holding the food he was bringing to Louis, so he shamefully left the kitchen and started walking towards the Captain's room.

He descended down the stairs and closed the door behind him, seeing the Captain settled on his bed now, just scribbling away.

Harry gulped. “I-I brought you some food. Thought you might still be hungry.” He tried hiding the shakiness of his voice as he handed Louis a loaf of bread.

Hook just nodded, impaling the loaf of bread with his hook and just ate from it.

Harry didn't know what else to do and just went to his sofa, sitting and quietly eating his bread.

The Captain, oddly enough, found it strange how quiet it was in his room. Usually, Harry would be blabbering about something or asking Louis more questions. He seemed very quiet now and Louis didn't know why this bothered him.

Captain Hook finally finished his notes and closed the notebook before eating his loaf of bread quickly. After that, he got up to stretch his legs and started walking towards the stairs to go to Smee and discuss about the map they were following. “Are you going to come up?” He asked Harry.

“No, I..” he started shaking his head. “I'll stay here and clean, if that's okay with you?” He asked.

Louis went to face Harry and had a confused look on his face, it was like Harry was a different person. He crossed his arms. “Are you alright?”

Harry smiled at him and just nodded. “Of course,” he stood up, putting his half eaten loaf of bread on a plate and started to sweep the floor, as if Louis was never in the room.

The Captain wanted to ask but he was in a hurry, he had to talk to Liam about their course right away. So, he just walked up the stairs and left the boy alone.

Harry couldn't lie and say he didn't wish that Louis had stayed with him.

♔

The next few days were exhausting for both the Prince and the pirate. To Louis, he was so set on getting his treasure and to Harry, he wanted to be as much help as he could be to Louis in decoding the map. The boy was even more quiet now though, he barely spoke and couldn't sleep. He keeps remembering the man who backed him up into a corner and started to touch him in a way that made his skin crawl in disgust. What makes the matters worse is that he always sees that man, Nick, looking at him in a very odd way. Harry felt very unsafe, the most unsafe he felt during his time aboard the ship. He was so afraid that he may never get to Belle.

Louis was calm now, from drinking rum and the fact that they're almost in the cove to begin another journey towards the treasure. He knew that when Harry said that they've been going to opposite direction the whole time, it would take twice as long. They've been trying to find shortcuts for a while now, but nothing. They still have to go in the same way they went.

The sun was setting as Harry washed the dishes in which the pirates have used to eat what he cooked for them. Harry was glad that he was at least helping them. After this trip, he can get to Belle and things will get better. Harry's still plotting their escape from the Dark One, but it was definitely hard since he has no idea about his castle. Harry scrubbed a wet cloth on the plates and organized them by size inside a shelf. His mind wandered to his stepmother. Harry didn't know what she was doing now, if she gave up or was still searching for Harry even after three weeks now. He wished that she had given up and tried to convince himself that she misses him, but he knew that was too good to be true and decided to not let his naive mind get the best of him.

He dried off his hands after he was finished and went to the front, where Louis was navigating with his spyglass, looking very focused on what he was doing. Being at the navigating area really gives a person a clear view of the deck and the forecastle where men work. He can see Liam talking to some crew members, maybe giving them a set of orders from the Captain himself.

“Surprising that you found yourself up here, Charming.” Louis started, not looking away from the view in his spyglass as he spoke to the boy. “What brings you 'ere?”

Harry laced his fingers together. “Um.. I just didn't have anything else to do. So maybe I could watch the sunset here.” He softly said, his voice making Louis put his spyglass down to try to calm his beating chest.

“Ah, yes. The sunset.” He muttered to himself. “Fascinating.”

Harry tilted his head with a small thoughtful smile on his face. “Don't like them?”

Louis just made a sound of hesitance. “Eh, I've seen better. Don't see the appeal, I see one almost every day.” He told Harry.

The Prince only turned his head, seeing the colors of red and orange make their way across the ocean, giving a beautiful reflection of the sleepy sun. “Maybe you're just used to them, but you never watch closer.” Harry said. “I barely see any of them, I've always been very busy to even go outside. The only times I've ever been out is when I sneak out, the Queen never really liked it when I left the castle.” He told Louis, skin having an orange hue to it from the setting sun.

The pirate only pressed his lips together, keeping what he said in his mind. In Louis' head, Harry was the type of person who wanted to explore and learn more things about the world. Somewhat reminding Louis of his childhood, being carefree and all, but still was scared of the littlest things. Now, Louis believed that nothing scares him anymore, he's witnessed too many things to even feel bothered feeling terrified.

Captain Hook walked to the helm. “Do you know how to sail?” He gestured towards the wheel with his hook.

Harry let out a small laugh and shook his head. “No, but I have read about sailing a ship. Just for boats in the royal navy though.” His feet started to bring himself towards the Captain.

Louis cracked a smile at his words. “It's not that different, come on.”

Harry's smile faded as his eyes widened. “Oh, no! Are you mad?” He stepped back. “I might crash the ship, I can't even control a horse.” He said, briefly mentioning his lack of horseback riding skills.

Louis looked at him as if he was being absurd. “Princes are intelligent, are they not? Isn't that their thing?”

“My thing is definitely not sailing a big boat with more than ten men in it.” Harry shook his head.

Louis gripped the spikes of the helm. “Let me teach you then.”

The Prince was surprised. Louis? Offering to teach him something? It made Harry feel so giddy and his cheeks glowed, but was masked by the soft orange hue from the sunset, almost tucked away under the ocean.

“R-really?”

Louis rolled his eyes. “Don't make me change my mind.”

That being said, he went towards the helm as Louis let him stand in front of it. Harry slowly gripped the handles and blinked profusely. “Now what?”

“Just hold it, yeah? I'm going to slowly let go, 'right?” Louis still had his hand on the handles. “Grip tight, Charming. Letting it go might set us off course.” He smirked, trying to scare him a little.

Harry, being Harry, believed him and gripped tightly until his hands turned white. The Captain slowly let go and smiled at Harry, who was grinning brightly while feeling very proud of himself even though it was just to hold a damn helm.

“That's good, Charming. I'm impressed.” He praised him.

The sun was finally gone and the sky was growing darker, and the pink on Harry's cheeks never went unnoticed by the pirate. “I'm only holding the helm still. It's not a big deal.” He said.

“Maybe next time, I'll teach you about the sails and rope knots.” Louis said, his hand inside the pocket of his long leather jacket.

Harry smiled. “I'd like that very much.”

Louis has no idea why he felt so relieved upon hearing the boy say that. He was too kind and had this out of place aura around him. Out of place because Louis has never met someone like Harry before, and being inside a ship full of pirates, people can definitely say that Harry was the odd one out.

“You know, we've known each other for around three weeks now.”

Louis ran his hand through his hair to fix his fringe. “Oh, so you're counting now.”

The boy just shrugged. “Lets me know how long I've been here. Twenty two days and I still don't know who you really are.”

Louis raised his brows at Harry, who was still holding the handles of the helm, looking at him with those clear green eyes that may have made anyone feel weak. Louis didn't want to admit that he was one of those people, he doesn't even notice it himself. “I'm Louis and I'm the Captain of Jolly Roger, what else is there to know?”

Harry frowned. “What about your hand? Can you at least tell me the story behind it?”

The pirate let out a sigh. “I thought we've been through this.”

“I just want to know, it may be interesting. Did you fight a great beast and lost your hand in the battle?”

“Harry-”

“Oh, come on, I'm curious,”

“It's not an important story.” Louis interjected.

Harry smiled, a pleading look on his face. “Please? It would make me very happy.”

“Harry, I said no.”

“But-”

His persistence annoyed the hell out of Louis as he snapped. “Enough!” He raised his voice. “God, I told you not to push it, Harry. What the hell is wrong with you?” He groaned, not seeing the shameful expression on the boy's face.

The boy looked down. “I-I just wanted to-”

“To what? Get to know me better? What a bloody cliché.” Louis huffed and started walking away. He changed his mind and turned back around to look at Harry, not wanting to remember the story of how he lost his hand. “You just don't know when to stop, do you? Yeah? You want to get to know me better to mess my fucking head, right?” He spat. “I know your kind. Yeah, people who think they're better than everyone else just because they think they have power over them even though they know that they're bloody weak and can never do shit.” Louis raised his hook towards Harry. He didn't like remembering a time of a low point in his life, even when he has his hook as a reminder. Snapping at Harry might not have been a good way to settle things, but Louis was an impulsive person who does what he thinks is right. “I know people like you. Hell, I've been surrounded by them while growing up. But get this, Harry; people like you, have a lesser chance to survive the world. You're just privileged enough to have people around who protect you your whole life. If you ever lived in villages like I did, being a bloody saint won't get you anywhere.” He shook his head at him. “You either steal food, or die. You either fight back, or die. You either kill, or die. That's just how it went in our shithole of a village.”

Harry stayed silent, not wanting to cry again like he did last time.

“You're too fucking kind that I know it'll be taken as weakness, Harry.” He told him. “I have no idea if you've noticed but you're no longer inside your cozy little palace anymore. You're living the real life now, inside a ship full of pirates who have stolen, fought and even killed.” He told Harry, hinting at him that Louis has done those things before. “I want you to respect me, Harry. If I tell you no, then bloody respect that. No, I don't want to talk about how I lost my hand.” He said to him in an aggressive tone, finally got the things he has been thinking about off his chest.

Harry's hands were shaking, trying not to let any tears be shed. He didn't know what to say. He heard footsteps from the staircase and revealed Liam who looked at both of them, confused.

“What's happening here?”

Louis just waved him off. “Take him to my quarters, Smee. He's done enough.” His voice was back to a calm tone as he waited for Harry to move his hands off the helm so he could control it himself.

Liam figured that Louis didn't want to talk about it, so he beckoned at Harry to come towards him. The boy was upset, but didn't want to seem like he was victimizing himself. He knew that he was very pushy and asked way too many questions, that's just how he grew up; being persistent in learning, growing curious about odd things and having an adoration for stories, real or not. He followed Liam to the Captain's chamber and sat down on his couch, the sky was dark before they came inside, stars not yet visible.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?”

Harry just frowned. “Louis thinks I'm weak because I'm apparently too nice.” He can see where he was coming from but he doesn't get why he thinks that being kind is weakness. Is that why he's always so stubborn? Because he didn't want to appear weak? Harry has always been aware of this but never really encountered him in a situation that confirms his suspicions.

Liam scratched his head. “That's Louis being Louis.” He quietly said.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

Smee thought about it for a while. “Louis tried very hard to be tough and I'm not saying he isn't because he's the strongest person I know, but sometimes he takes it too far and treats kindness like some disease he's trying not to catch.” He put his cold hands inside his pockets. “Try to be more understanding, Harry. I know you're upset, yeah? Did something happened that probably made him start being angry?”

The Prince only fiddled with his thumbs. “I might've pushed him into telling me the story about how he lost his hand.” He sheepishly said.

Liam slowly nodded. “Well, now I understand.”

Harry felt awful. “Was it really that bad? Whatever happened to him? Was it?” He asked, still ashamed that he did that. He knew he was in the wrong here.

“Oh, definitely. It's not my place to tell you about it, you just have to wait for him to open up to you instead of forcing it out of him.” Liam shook his head. “You did something wrong, Harry and I'm sure Louis did too. Try to refrain from pushing him into doing something he doesn't want to do, okay? He usually snaps at a lot of people, he's done it a lot, it's not very uncommon for him to lose his temper so please don't feel too upset about it. It'll be fine, he'll cool down.” Liam reassured him.

“Would you mind if I sleep where you sleep?” Harry quietly asked. “I don't think he wants to see me right now.”

Liam let out a small laugh. “I sleep on a hammock, Your Highness, along with the rest of the crew. I doubt we'd both fit.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.” He muttered. “I guess I'll have to stay here then.” Harry's lips formed a small smile.

“Alright, Harry. If you need me, I'll be at the deck. Get some rest, I'm sure Louis will be fine and you will be too.” Liam pat his shoulder.

Harry nodded. “Thank you, Smee. I really appreciate it.” He said, voice soft and mellow.

Liam only nodded with a comforting smile before leaving the room, leaving Harry by himself. The boy took the blanket he uses and wrapped it around himself before lying down on the sofa, thinking about everything Louis said. Harry didn't think he was going too far with his actions and words, he just wanted to get to know Louis better. It made him feel guilty, his persistence. He doesn't know how to talk to him. Or even look him in the eye, knowing what he has done. It may not seem to be a big deal, but being yelled at by a pirate Captain is something that Harry never thought would happen to him almost every day of his life.

The Prince realized that the pirate may find it very hard to reveal parts of him to Harry. Or maybe Louis just doesn't like him. Harry doesn't even know anymore, but the more Louis pushes him away, the more Harry wants to know. He started thinking of the time he first got here, how he started to clean everything and the Captain being so mad at him that he made the boy clean the entire deck as punishment.

And that was it.

Harry's eyes lit up when he remembered the book that Hook snatched away from him and slipped into one of his drawers. He stood up and went to the bottom drawer, opening it and seeing piles of clothes inside. Reaching in, Harry kept feeling for something with a hard cover until his fingers touched something with a smooth feel to it. He pulled it out and it revealed the book with the words 'The Bravest Heart' engraved on the cover. The boy's feet carried him to the corner, hiding away in case the pirate comes back. He opens the book and a note falls from between the pages.

A note? What could it possibly have? Harry reached down for it and held it up, reading the words 'une hallucination parfaite' in cursive. Thankfully, Harry had to learn French because, well, Belle was half French and offered to tutor him. A perfect hallucination, Harry wondered to himself what that could mean. How can a hallucination be perfect? Aren't those not very good? It made him purse his lips and look down at the first page of the book, which contained a short message underneath the title of the story.

“To my dearest William, may your birthday be filled with the bravery you've found within yourself and remain until you grow into the person you've dreamed of becoming.” Harry whispered to himself, eyes following after the words. “Never forget who you are. Love, Father.” He finished and felt confused. Who might William be?

In fear of getting caught, Harry went to the drawers and carefully placed the book back. He slowly slid the drawer back to its place and stood back, hitting his shoulder on the edge of the table and made him let out a huff in the sudden rush of pain.

“What are you doing?”

Harry jumped and immediately turned around and saw Louis standing there with his arms crossed, looking at him with confusion and annoyance. It’s like that’s always the way he looks at Harry. “Um… I was, er, trying to clean under the table.”

Louis only rolled his eyes. “I’m utterly convinced that lying is not one of your specialties.” He unfolded his arms and walked slowly towards him. “I’m going to ask you once more, Charming. What are you doing?” His face was so close to Harry’s that he could feel his hot breath in midst of the cold air within the room.

Harry swallowed, feeling like he might start sweating even when it’s cold and they were in the middle of the sea. He let out a sigh and tried to lean back to give some space between them. “I’m sorry, I was looking for the book I saw when I arrived here. You seem to value it very much.” He quietly said. “A-are you going to throw me off into the sea?” He asked.

The way he spoke, it sparked something inside Louis. His expression softened and he just let out a sigh. “Just… just leave it, alright? Don’t go through my stuff.” He walked past him, not wanting to ask more questions as to why he looked for it in the first place, just wanting to take his map and leave. “Take a bath or whatever. Try not to annoy me for the next few hours.”

Harry quietly just stood there and nodded to what Louis told him to do. He wasn't really in the mood for a bath but he didn't want to upset Louis even more, he knows how annoying he's been lately.

Captain Hook just took his notes. “Don't leave this room, alright? I mean it.” He said, a little frustrated by the whole situation but brushed it all off upon seeing the look on Harry's face. Louis gathered what he needed and left the room without another word.

The Prince felt like a child, just going along with what adults say. It brought him back to his time at the palace, where everyone told him what to do and what not to do. Mostly the Queen, she controlled most of his teenage life around three years after she married his father. Harry didn't want to just sit here and do nothing, but he felt like he's upset the man enough.

The room was filled with things that Harry could observe, but right now, the room felt empty to him. He had no idea what he can and couldn't do, it's like everything was really laid out to him back in the palace. Now, he doesn't even feel like a Prince anymore by the way these people treat him. No matter how much Harry wished to be treated normally, his norm still remained within the palace walls whether he liked it or not. To be put in a place where his life was opposite to what it should be, it was a shock to him. He was clueless, to be put lightly. Harry understood his privilege as an heir to a throne, but he never truly treasured it and longed to be treated like everyone else. He didn't mean it like this, where he gets pushed around and harassed by pirates who only keep him alive because he knows how to figure out where the treasure they've been looking for was located.

For the whole duration of his time here, Harry noticed how he's always been curious about Louis Tomlinson. The Captain of the ship who had one working hand and a hook in the other. Everything about him screamed a story, and Harry has a big fascination by stories. Growing up inside a palace with nothing else to do but read and talk to the people inside it, unable to leave the palace without sneaking outside. Maybe that's why he was so persistent in trying to find out the story behind the Captain's hook. Harry had quite the habit of trying to learn about something if it fascinates him, it's why he read almost every book in their enormous library. He knows so much yet it was not enough for him.

Trying to get to know Louis was very hard, but Harry has nothing left to lose. His parents are long gone and his best friend may even be dead if Harry removed all hope that thrived inside his body and mind. He has nothing else but his life left, so what more could he possibly lose?

He thought about that and realized that Louis needed him, that's why he hasn't killed him yet or thrown off the ship. Whether the pirate crew liked it or not, they were all stuck with Harry because they both need something from each other.

The stars appeared in the sky already, and Harry decided to take a calming bath. He was sat inside the bathtub, the cold water was wrapped around his body and just held him in place. After his bath, he changed back into his old clothes. Unhygienic, but he had no other clothes. At least his skin wasn't as sticky as before, he won't start complaining. He left the room, going to the deck and into the small room they all consider a kitchen to start making some dinner. Harry's hands were slightly shaking, yet he didn't know why.

He could feel eyes on him, which was unsettling. The sound of the door closing made him jump in his place and turn his head to look at who it was. There was barely any light so Harry couldn't see, but he could hear footsteps and whoever it was, was coming even closer.

There was a hand on Harry's hip. “Hey, pretty baby.” He leaned down and inhaled Harry's scent from his neck. “God, you smell so good.”

Harry recognized his voice and whimpered. “P-please, leave me alone.”

The man let out a chuckle, hands tightening around the boy and held him against his body. “Fuck, you sound so good when you beg. No wonder the cap keeps you around. I would too.” He muttered into Harry's ear.

Harry shook his head and tried pushing him away, but he was so strong and the boy couldn't believe that he felt weak. “Please, leave me alone.” He whispered, afraid that the man might do something against Harry's will.

He just laughed at Harry's pleas and pushed him against a wall and started to kiss his neck, making Harry scrunch his nose in disgust. “No, no, please don't. Please,” Harry whimpered out weakly. He did not want to be intimate with a random man who just so happened to be a pirate who insulted him in front of everyone. Harry wanted it to have intimacy, with someone who cared about him, not with a random man who hasn't had a good night in a while.

Harry has read about sex, educated himself with it. But this was not sex, this was sexual assault and Harry felt so uncomfortable with the unfamiliar hands that slipped under his shirt. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to call for help. He was scared that if he did, more men would try to take advantage of him. It was like inviting more people into a party.

The man just kept feeling up Harry's body and the Prince absolutely despised it. He never felt pleasure, the shivers he felt was from disgust.

“God, you're so fucking soft.”

“P-please, stop. I-I don't want this.”

Harry shouldn't be shocked when he felt a sudden sting to his face, his head turning to the left abruptly as the sound of his skin being hit echoed within the small room.

“Shut the hell up, I'm trying to focus here.” He said in annoyance. “We've been on the sea for months, haven't fucked any woman in a while.”

Harry was in loss for words, he didn't need an explanation from him. The man was still assaulting him. “I-I'm not a woman.”

The man snickered. “But you're so soft. Even better than a woman.” He said. “But if word gets out that I fucked a boy, I'll kill you and no one would give a shit.” He wrapped his hand around Harry's neck, cutting off his air supply and just made him nod weakly, just wanting to breathe again. “Good. Now shut the fuck u-”

The door was kicked open and Harry felt so relieved to feel light shine upon his body again, and then he saw the man who have been assaulting him in the dark. “Harry, what the fuck. I told you to stay..” the Captain stopped himself from talking when he saw one of his crew trapping the boy between the wall. Harry looked disheveled, his shirt exposed his shoulder and collarbones. The other man had loosened his pants and had one hand up Harry's shirt. Louis think he was about to lose it. “What the fuck is going on here?”

He was furious, assuming that Harry had wanted this and wanted to be with this man. The thought made his blood boil, it made him overlook the paling expression on the other man who worked for him.

Harry didn't know how to explain, but his eyes filled with tears and relief that he took advantage of the state of the man who assaulted him and pushed him off his smaller body. Out of impulse, he ran to Louis and wrapped his arms around his neck, burying his face into the crook of his neck and started to sob while shaking.

The pirate was taken aback by what Harry did and it hit him. Harry never consented to this, Harry was assaulted by Louis' own crew. He slowly wrapped one arm around Harry's lower back and tried to soothe him. “What the fuck, Nick?” Louis let Harry go and made him stand behind him. His face was full of anger. He can't believe that Harry almost got taken advantage of if he never went back to the room and found out that the boy left even after Louis told him not to leave the room. “I don't think I remember telling the crew they're allowed to fucking touch Harry whenever the fuck they please. When have I ever ordered that?”

“I-I'm okay now, please. I don't want to start a fight.” Harry put his hand on Louis' chest to stop him from doing something he'd regret, he saw how angry he was. It was terrifying, to say the least. Even the man, Nick, was a little afraid. Harry could sense it.

“Harry, what the bloody hell are you on about? He was just about to-”

“I just want to go back, please. Let's go back.” Harry pleaded, not wanting to be in this room anymore. It gives him unwanted emotions and he wanted to take another bath.

Louis could feel the fear in Harry's voice, it made him feel so angry at everyone in the ship. The Captain could just burst and start yelling at everyone. Anger can't even describe how he feels right now. He put a protective arm around Harry, which surprised both of them to say the least. Harry was more comfortable with that, safe even.

Louis led him back to his room and sat him down on his bed this time. “I told you not to leave this room and you also didn't listen. Will there ever be a time where you start listening to me?” He exasperatingly sighed and put his hand on his hip.

Harry soon realized that the reason why Louis never let him take baths or change in another room was because of that. “I'm sorry.” He wiped his eyes, feeling ridiculous to know that he cried twice today. He felt disgusted of himself, still able to feel the hands on his body and it made him feel awful.

Louis noticed that Harry was starting to scratch his own skin and so he grabbed the boy's hand and put them down. Louis was practically crouching down in front of Harry, looking up to stare at the boy's eyes. He felt so relieved that he found him in time. Louis can't believe that the first thought that went to his mind was that Harry wanted to be with Nick, he felt horrible for that.

Now, Louis was crouched on the ground, holding Harry's hand and staring at him. It was the first time he felt a sudden burst of fluttering inside his stomach, or maybe it wasn't the first time. Maybe it was his first time acknowledging it.

“Are you okay?” Louis asked, and immediately felt stupid from asking it. Of course he's not, you dumb piece of shit.

Harry just weakly smiled, sniffling and just looking at their hands, three of them actually. He slowly moved his fingers so that he could lace them with Louis' hand, and it surprised him that Louis just didn't make any move to stop him from doing so. Harry just needed the comfort of knowing that Louis was there, doesn't matter if it was just a simple act of hand holding, it probably does not even mean anything to Louis. “I'm okay now, th-thank you for coming to find me. I don't know what would've happened if you didn't.” He quietly said.

Louis squeezed Harry's hand with his own. “I'm sorry I yelled at you.”

The Prince's smile was fading. “Are.. are you only saying that because of what happened? To make me feel better?”

His eyes widened. “No! Of course not, that's dumb. I was actually looking for you to apologize. You were pretty annoying,” he pointed out and made Harry let out a small giggle. The sound just made Louis smile only a little. “But I still went over the line, I'm sorry.”

Harry wasn't sure if the pirate even noticed how his thumb was caressing the Prince's hand in a gentle manner. He wasn't complaining. “I'm sorry too. I've been quite nosy when I should've just respected your decisions. I guess I've been used to getting what I want. Privileged and all.” He shrugged.

“Don't say that, yeah? If anything, you were trying to be nice by starting a conversation and I just blew up on you.” He told him.

Harry just cracked a smile at him and just nodded to what he said. “Let's just put all that behind us, if that's okay.”

“Sounds fine to me.” He softly said, so fascinated by the way Harry's eyes shone from the little bit of tears that have been shed earlier. “I'm sorry this happened to you, I'll never justify their actions.” He quietly told Harry. “I promised you a safe passage and then this bullshit with Nick happens and it's just,” he saw how Harry flinched at the name. Louis felt dumb to even bringing it up again and it made him want to punch himself. “You should just get some rest.”

“Actually, I was thinking of going to the shower again.” Harry softly said. “If you don't mind.”

The Captain shook his head. “I don't. You can go ahead and I'll find some clothes for you.” He shrugged, letting go of Harry's hand and didn't see the way the boy frowned when his hand became empty again. Harry stood up and went to the bathroom to start washing himself again, to try cleaning himself off from the horrible hands that touched him. He kept comparing the way Nick touched him to the way Louis did. Nick was so rough and almost left bruises on his hips, which he didn't want to see again. Louis was so gentle and comforting and made Harry want to get to know him better. The man could be sweet sometimes and it made Harry's heart beat even faster. It was ridiculous, the Prince was starting to be more interested in the pirate. Far too interested than he should be.

Meanwhile, Louis laid out clothes for Harry. It felt wrong to make him sleep on a couch while being in the same room as Louis. So he's going to offer to switch places. Louis stopped himself to think; what the hell am I doing? Are any of these what a pirate would do in this kind of situation? A ruthless pirate like him wouldn't have cared and let the man assault Harry for all he pleased, Louis shouldn't have cared as much as he did and he was glad that no one even noticed Louis leading Harry back to his room. Hook felt so much anger for Nick, he didn't want to think about what the man had done to Harry. Nick touched the boy against his own will and Louis can never forget the way Harry's body was shaking in fear when he held onto the Captain. Louis was absolutely pissed.

He left the room to let Harry change in peace, making sure to lock the door behind him and went to the helm, finding Liam taking his night shift controlling it. “Captain, thought you were sleeping already.”

Louis clicked his tongue and looked into the sea. He didn't respond to what Liam said. “How much further are we from the cove?” He couldn't focus, his mind was still on Harry and what happened earlier. It's all he could think of now that he didn't even hear Liam's answer to his question.

Smee just snapped his fingers in front of Louis' face and made him blink rapidly. “Were you even listening, mate?”

“Sorry, I'm.. not feeling well.” He said.

Liam just sighed. “Get some rest, Captain. We're still a long way to the cove. I'll wake you if I find something, I have everything under control up here.”

Louis almost rolled his eyes at that. If he did, nothing would've happened to Harry today. He didn't make the comment, it'd only rise the question on what happened to Harry. Louis just assumed that it's not his place to tell people, he didn't want Harry to feel even more uncomfortable. The boy is safe as long as he's in the Captain's quarters and that's all that matters to him. The Captain just agreed to what Smee told him and proceeded to his room.

He found Harry slipping the shirt on, hair wet and he seemed cold. It was very cold to even take a shower at night. During Harry's first shower, it wasn't freezing cold just yet. When Harry saw Louis, he had a comforting smile on his face. It was an unexplainable feeling of safety whenever Louis was around.

Captain Hook went to his table and removed the hook from its stump. “You're sleeping on the bed. Don't argue with me on this one.” He told him.

“But-”

“What did I just say?” Louis pointed out and made Harry pout, going to the bed and slipping under the covers.

He hummed, feeling very comfortable laying down for the first time. “I don't want to make you feel like you're obligated to comply to my comfort because of what happened.”

“I'm not doing this for you, Charming. I need the sofa to straighten my back.” He defended.

Harry smiled to himself, knowing that the man was lying to not appear soft and gentle towards him. He was starting to learn about his ways, he knew that the pirate didn't like being caught in random acts of kindness.

Louis took his leather jacket off when he was cleaning the hook with a rag, revealing a dirty white top with not sleeves. Harry felt his stomach do a flip. He noticed tattoos on his arms and even saw a deer's head there. Harry has never seen the pirate with his jacket off, so now he can see how muscular they were and littered with tattoos. But his tattoos weren't the usual sleeves that Harry sometimes saw in books or on people when he first went to that tavern before he got to the ship. Louis' tattoos were more singular, scribbles and random to say the least. Harry was so intrigued.

“I didn't know you had tattoos.” Harry softly said, making the pirate look up at him.

Louis only shrugged. “They're stupid, drunken mistakes that I can never remove.” He said. “What, are you going to bombard me with questions about every single one?” He had a teasing grin on his face which was contagious for Harry who was grinning brightly.

Harry shook his head. “No, I don't want to annoy you. You have some sort of phobia for questions.”

He let out a scoff. “I do not.”

“Yes, you do.”

Louis felt challenged, turning to Harry while he put down the hook and the rag, crossing his arms and made his muscles bulge. Harry swallowed when he saw that and felt his cheeks redden. Really? Right after what happened to him? Why now? Why did he feel flustered whenever he looked at Louis? The timing could never be even more wrong. “Alright, what do you want to ask me? I have nothing to hide.”

Harry furrowed his brows in confusion. Hours ago, he yelled at Harry for asking too many questions, now he's offering to answer them? It was utterly confusing. “I thought you didn't like it when I ask?”

Captain Hook rolled his eyes. “But now you're challenging me and I don't like losing. Now, ask me what you want and I'll answer you.”

Harry raised his brows. So the pirate doesn't like losing to challenged, maybe Harry should do this more often. He doesn't even remember how he seemed to have challenged Louis, it was odd. “How did you lose your hand?”

Louis seemed hesitant, and even put his arms down to his sides when he heard the question. He sat down in the chair in front of his desk and rested his elbow on his knee. “It's.. it's a long story, Harry. I'm not sure if I should tell you.” He started. “Only the crew and Smee knows. But since I accept your challenge, I'll tell you a short version.” He said.

“There's a long version?”

“Don't push it, Charming.” He glared.

Harry put his hands up in defense. “Apologies. Please, continue.”

“The Dark One took my hand.” He answered. “He took it while he stood in my ship, it was the first deal I made with him and the first one he never completed.” He told Harry.

The Prince frowned, remembering how awful Rumpelstiltskin was. But maybe he was once a man, Harry doesn't know the full story. He still felt some kind of resentment though, the man took his only friend. “Why would he do that?”

“To simply put it, he didn't want to give me what I wanted. So, I held onto what he wanted from me. He didn't accept it and decided to take my hand, thinking it was in there.” Louis took the hook and held it up. “This fell from the pole after he left with my fist in his hand. I took it and had this made.” He referred to the stump that held the hook in place. “I've been Captain Hook ever since.”

“What was the deal about? That doesn't make any sense. From what I know of him, he never breaks a deal.” Harry softly said.

Louis looked into Harry's eyes. He knew that the Prince could be trusted, but he still wanted to make sure. “You can never speak another word about this to anyone else, do you hear me?” He asked and made Harry nod immediately, curious as to what it may be. “He wanted this,” Louis reached for the necklace wrapped around his neck, revealing a shell pendant.

Harry looked closely. “A shell? The Dark One wanted a shell?”

Louis let out a small laugh. “It isn't just a shell, Charming. It's magic. The Heart of the Ocean.” He said. “It's said that it can communicate through different worlds, different realms. And if used correctly, it can transport people to different places.” He put the shell back under his shirt to keep it hidden. “It's the only piece of magic that can work anywhere, even in the land without magic.” Louis informed Harry, but it only made him tilt his head in interest.

Harry's eyes lit up. “There's a land without magic?” A realm with no magic, it's a safe haven for Harry if he's trying to get away from the Queen.

The pirate nodded. “It's a land with no warlocks, witches or any kind of magic. Even if there was, it's weak. The belief system there is very weak. Weak belief, weak magic.” He told him, really enjoying how Harry's eyes light up from the information.

Harry has never read any piece of literature involving the land without magic, he wondered why. His library was very much complete, why would it not contain anything about another realm he has never heard of or believed to even exist?

“What did you want?”

“Hm?”

“With the deal between you and Rum-”

Louis jumped and covered Harry's mouth with his hand. “Don't say his name!” He said. “I don't want him to be summoned here while we're in the ocean.” He said, removing his hand from Harry's soft and red lips. It worried him how he stared at the pair of lips for too long.

“But what did you want?”

Louis looked at Harry's green eyes again, seeing the way they twinkled from the gentle light of the three lamps surrounding the room. “That's enough questions for today, Harry. Get some rest.” He stood up and put his leather jacket back on.

Harry pouted, wanting to push for more questions. Their discussion was very much interesting, he didn't want it to end. But he felt very tired anyway. Their talk made Harry temporarily forget about what happened earlier. He watched Louis put the hook back in its place and looked at him in confusion. Is he not going to sleep yet?

“Stay here, yeah? I mean it, Harry.”

“Where are you going?” Harry feared that this may involve him.

Louis turned around while walking to the stairs. “I have something to take care of. He simply said and kept walking.

Harry immediately got off the bed and went to him, grabbing his hand to stop him from going any further. “I don't want to start a fight, please.”

Louis thought to himself that the events from tonight started a war, but he decided not to voice out his mind. “Harry, get some rest.” He continued to walk but was stopped by the grip of Harry's hand around his wrist.

“Please, don't hurt anyone.”

“You're seriously defending him? After what he did to you?” Louis' anger bubbled up, not believing what he was hearing right now. “You can't be serious.”

Harry had a sad look on his face. “He did something disgusting, but I would never wish death upon him-”

“Bullshit, you want him dead. It's not bad to admit it.”

Harry felt compelled to say yes, but he grew up this way. No matter what, Harry can never want someone to die. “N-no, I don't want him dead.” He quietly said.

Louis knew that he was serious. “Maybe you don't, but I do. You can't stop me, Harry.” He continued to walk but Harry stopped him again.

“Please, can we just sleep?” He asked.

“I can't be in the same bloody ship as that disgusting piece of shit, alright? It just doesn't settle with me, Harry. You can't just not want him gone, what if I never found you?” He interjected.

Harry did something that surprised both of them. Maybe this day was just full of surprises, Harry guessed. He put his hands on Louis' cheeks and made the pirate's heartbeat quicken. “I'm just glad that you did, now can we please just sleep?” He quietly said, hands slipping down to Louis' shoulders.

It was odd, there was something happening between them but neither party wanted to acknowledge it. Out of instinct, Louis put his hand on Harry's hip. “I just can't accept what he did to you, okay? I hate thinking about it.”

Harry let out a weak chuckle. “At least you weren't the one who actually experienced it. I'd be terrified of your initial reaction.” He joked but didn't seem to find the humor on the man's face. Their bodies were so close that you'd assume they were something else other than acquaintances.

“I don't want you to be terrified of me.” Louis muttered.

Harry felt confused, it seemed to be what he always feels whenever he's around Louis. “I thought pirates wanted people to fear them.”

It was like a wakeup call. The word 'pirates' made Louis put his hand down from Harry's hip and move away from the boy, sitting down on the sofa. “Go to sleep, Harry. That's an order.” He told him.

Harry sighed, feeling like everything went back to how it was before the incident happened. “Yes, Captain.” He mumbled and went to the bed, wrapping the sheets around himself and lying on his right side. He willed himself to sleep.

A few hours later, Louis was still awake. He cannot shake off the thought of Nick still being able to sleep soundly while knowing he almost ruined a boy's innocence. Maybe now it's damaged but there was still hope for Harry. Louis wanted to take action but he keeps remembering Harry's pleas to not harm him. Harry shouldn't expect so much from Louis. That's what he kept in his mind when he left the room in search of Nick, ready to bury his hook into his chest and throw him off the sea. The cold breeze wrapped around his face, his body was kept warmed by his pants and jacket. He looked for Nick in their own chambers, knowing full well that Nick wasn't part of the night shift. He saw him asleep and alone in the room, which was great for Louis' part. He went towards Nick's sleeping body and tapped him away.

“Wake up, you bloody fuck.” Louis jolted him awake by pushing the hammock he used to sleep in.

“Cap,” he breathed out. “Look, mate, I didn't mean to mess with you boy toy-”

“Don't call him that, you stupid bastard.” He snapped at him, throwing a punch at him and not even breaking a sweat while the other man stumbled back in shock. “God, I was trying so hard to not be pissed. I'm not even allowed to fucking kill you, but I can still hurt you.” Louis kicked his side and made him groan in pain. “You fucking piece of shit, if I ever see you looking at him. Don't even bloody think about him, you disgusting bastard. Don't think I'd hesitate on trying to kill you if it weren't for Liam convincing me otherwise.” He spewed a lie and kicked him again before grabbing him by the collar.

“C-come on, Cap. Don't tell me you haven't thought of that boy under you once.” He let out a laugh, which was awful considering he hand blood running down his nose and his sides may be bruised.

Louis landed him another blow to the stomach. “Don't even fucking speak to me that way. I'm your Captain! You're going to fucking respect me, I don’t care if you're a pirate. You're still a fucking rapist to me. Stay away from Harry, you bastard. If you're even ten feet away from him, I'll slice you in half.” He grabbed him by the collar and threw him back into the ground, the man groaning in pain again. Louis just fixed his jacket around the shoulders and calmly walked away and left the crew's chamber. He sees Liam from afar, still at the helm and sighed to himself, feeling much better now that he took his anger out. Not saying he ran out, it was still there. But the stress about it lessened. He went back to the room and hesitated to go to the bed or go to sleep on the sofa. He shook his head and walked towards the bed to look at Harry's sleeping face. He looked peaceful, and it should remain that way even if he's awake. Nick might have a broken nose and some broken ribs as well, but those weren't enough to what Harry went through.

Louis is going to make sure that no one else will hurt him, and that includes himself as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!!!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT !!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> i'll explain here how royalty works in the story, to make it clear.
> 
> So, in this story, there are two parts of the realm that the characters live in; the North and the South. Prince Harry is the son of King Solomon and the late Queen Anastasia, or best known as Queen Anne. His parents are the rulers of the North, which makes Harry a Prince of the North. But, the North is divided in two kingdoms; King Solomon's kingdom (Mist Haven) and Queen Aurora's kingdom (Mallow Rose). With Queen Aurora, she has four sons and no daughter. The two kingdoms formed alliances, so it's a peaceful kingdom.
> 
> The South, however, isn't very peaceful with their scattered kingdoms and numerous Kings and Queens even though their land isn't as big as the North. Also with the Dark One being a fellow resident of the South.
> 
> Royals are the ones who are rich and powerful. Peasants are the ones who live in villages or serve in the palace.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: louis makes fun of how harry could barely eat their uncooked food and made him cook before proceeding to undermine his abilities just because he's a privileged prince. harry learned about liam's tragic past involving his parents and his nickname. louis realized how good harry looked wearing his borrowed clothes. harry accidentally ruined louis' notes and broke down after being yelled at, realizing that he no longer had a home. he got harassed by one of the crew members. he did not mention it to louis and just went on with his life. louis taught him to hold the helm and things escalated; harry gets yelled at again for being nosy. hours later, harry was once again harassed and was saved by louis. he found out about the story behind louis' hook. harry told louis not to go after the man who assaulted him but the pirate, of course, never listened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, late update x  
> let me know your thoughts so far ♡

The ocean was calm, and Louis treated Harry much differently days after. He was kinder to him, Harry noticed. Not the kindest, but less mean. The boy was never kept out of Louis’ sight, though. Harry didn’t notice how Louis watched over him even closer. Although the Prince wished that it wouldn’t take a man touching him against his will for Louis to realize that he’s been treating him wrongly.

The Captain’s first mate saw the way Louis looked at the boy, even while the Prince was doing the smallest thing like staring out into the sea with his hair swaying along the wind or when he’s preparing their food or whatnot. Liam could see how Louis looked at him with the gentlest eyes. It was the first time he ever saw his friend be that way.

As the Captain’s lifelong friend, he has witnessed Louis in taverns leaving with different women and men every night. Sometimes even multiple, but he never seemed happy or anything. His eyes never shined the way it did now, he never genuinely laughed this much in a while and it made Liam wonder what ever happened to Harry or Louis for his Captain to act this way.

Harry remained clueless as usual, but he noticed himself become flustered whenever he catches Louis staring at him, it made him more cautious of what he was doing. He still could not forget about that night no matter how hard he tried, and kept thanking his lucky stars that Louis decided to go look for him just to apologize. If he didn’t, Harry doesn’t know what might’ve happened to him.

Waves danced across the ocean as the Prince wondered to himself. If there was such a place called as the land without magic, would it be the new home Harry has been looking for? He possesses no magic at all so it would not affect him, neither did Belle. Maybe after all this and when he finds her, they can both find a way to leave this place and go to this land without magic. Easier said than done, but maybe Harry can start over, live a life without fearing the thought of meeting with the Queen again.

But he cannot leave his subjects in the hands of a Queen so ruthless. Leaving this realm will never win against his conscience. Harry still has to go back and take back the kingdom, it would’ve been the right thing to do. It would’ve been what his parents would want him to do; not run away from his fears. Though, he still feared that the Queen might get to Belle before he does. He had a feeling that she knew he would come after her. This is why he must hurry and go as soon as he could, but he was stuck in a ship filled with pirates. He also made a deal without thinking about the consequences.

Speaking of pirates, Harry caught a glimpse of Nick, who looked absolutely beaten up. The day after the incident, Harry immediately knew it was Louis’ doing. He felt upset when he found out that Louis went against his wishes, but he never should’ve thought that the pirate would not take the matters into his own hands. If Harry was being honest, he didn’t like the way he felt a little bit relieved. It was like he accepted the fact that Nick got what he deserved and he didn’t like the way his mind was thinking. Part of him was trying to convince himself that this is the result of being surrounded by these kind of people, but another part of him whispered that he remained the same, his true colors only started to show. Harry felt shameful, he did not want to wish violence upon anyone but he couldn’t say that he was purely upset over seeing the bruises on Nick’s face.

“How are you holding up, Your Highness?” Harry turned his head to meet Liam’s face, who squinted against the harsh light of the sun.

Harry smiled as a greeting. “You can just call me Harry, Mr. Smee. It’s not that hard.”

Smee only shrugged. “Your Highness has a nice ring to it.” He teased, nudging Harry’s shoulder with his own. “The Captain wants to see you.”

The Prince immediately lit up as he looked at Liam with happiness glowing on his face. He wasn’t very discrete when it comes to his emotions, unlike Louis. “R-really? What for?”

Smee only let out a laugh. “I was just messing with you, Harry. You seemed pretty excited.” He grinned. “Most people would dread seeing the Captain.”

The Prince only let out a small laugh, a little disappointed since he thought that the Captain wanted to speak to him. “Just not feeling down, that’s all.” He said, cheeks reddening from their encounter.

Liam only smiled at Harry, seeing how happy he was from hearing about Louis. He had a feeling that something might be going on between them. It was odd because neither one of the boys were even aware that there was. Or maybe one of them just refused to even notice it.

“How about I teach you how to sail,” Liam offered and made Harry smile brightly. “Does that sound good?”

Harry nodded. “Yes, of course! I’ve had books about ships before, I think I know a few things. But all the books I’ve read were of Navy ships, not pirate ships.” He recalled as he followed Liam to the ropes attached to the sails.

The other man let out a chuckle. “Well, you wouldn’t find it hard to sail then. Considering that this was once a Navy ship.” Liam grabbed one of the ropes, reaching up for them and made his back muscles stretch.

Harry’s eyes widened. “You all hijacked a royal ship?”

Smee immediately shook his head. “No, of course not! We used to be a part of the navy.” He told him. “This ship was once called The Gem of the Realm.” He pulled some of the ropes and Harry watched as the sails moved from above them.

The Prince blinked, trying to process the information. “So... all the men here were once working for a kingdom?” He asked.

Liam shrugged. “You can say that. We were in the navy of King Midas, d’you know him?” Liam tied the ropes.

Harry only furrowed his brows. Does that mean that Louis was once a Captain of a navy crew? “The King that can turn things into gold?”

Smee nodded. “Yeah, that was him. The crew used to live in their kingdom. Hook, me and a friend came to their kingdom to sign up. It was years ago, but I still remember it as if it were yesterday.” Liam trailed off, giving Harry a rope. “You try.”

The Prince bit his lip and started to do what Liam did, trying to copy his actions. “So, he was once a navy Captain?” He said, aware that Liam knew who he was referring to.

“No, he was actually a first mate.” Liam let him know. “Our other friend was the Captain.” Liam said, looking down. “He’s not exactly around anymore.” The Prince noticed how the man’s voice got quiet, it made him frown.

“Where is he now?”

Liam shrugged, indicating he didn’t know. “Dead.”

Harry’s shoulders dropped from his bluntness. “I’m sorry.”

Smee only waved him off. “It’s alright. We had great times together, it’s all that matters.” He sighed. “Anyway, remember when you first got here?”

The boy only nodded, noticing how the man shifted the topics. Maybe it wasn’t good to talk about past Captains. “Yes?”

“I still have the bow and arrows stocked up in the weaponry.” Liam grinned. “It belongs to you, does it not? Maybe you should take it.”

Harry’s lips parted. “What? You’re letting me have weapons now?” He looked at him in confusion. “Isn’t that something the Captain would very much be against? What if I hurt someone?”

“Would you?”

The boy opened his mouth to answer, but realized he had nothing to say. He knew that he couldn’t hurt anyone, but he trained himself to fight the Dark One in the first place. He can’t say he was the innocent one here. “And so what if I would?”

“You’re surrounded by pirates with swords and cannons. I wouldn’t fight you, but they would. I’m only giving you something to use for self-defense.” Liam sighed, watching Harry tie the rope just like he did. “The place of the treasure isn’t exactly the safest place in the world. Captain would want you to stay here, but I have a feeling that you would want to see the treasure for yourself.” He told Harry. “Better safe than sorry, right?”

Harry stared back at Liam. He seemed to care a lot about Harry and he can never be more thankful for that. “I really appreciate what you’ve done for me for the time I’ve been here.”

“You’ve been nothing but kind to everyone here, the least I could do is give some back.”

Harry only chuckled to himself, nodding. Liam proceeded to teach him about using the white sails to give balance to the ship, the boy listened to them closely. They were unaware of the man watching them through his spyglass up in the area of the helm. Louis slowly put his spyglass down, narrowing his eyes. He was starting to notice how his first mate and practically roommate were growing closer to one another. At least Harry has someone else to annoy, yet Liam never looked bored whenever he talked to the boy. Louis knows how talkative and full of questions Harry can be, but there was something about how Harry laughed at something Liam had said as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard. It didn’t settle well with Louis as he huffed and rolled his eyes, his hook going around one of the handles as he stirred the ship. It felt wrong to not be able to shake the thought of the boy. These days, Louis finds himself looking at the boy for far too long. It creeps out even himself. Whenever he gets caught staring, he looks away immediately. He has no idea what was coming over him, all he knew was that he didn’t like this feeling. It’s too foreign for him to handle. Ever since the Prince got here, it felt like Louis was losing all the control he once had.

“Smee!” He called out, and made the man turn his head around from facing Harry. Even the boy shifted his attention to the Captain, who only waved Liam over into the helm.

Liam turned to Harry. “Excuse me, His Majesty calls.” He teased and made Harry giggle to himself, dimples popping out before looking up to see Louis. The pirate seemed to have a cold glare on his face, Harry can see it from afar. Did something upset him?

The boy proceeded to make some food for the crew like he always does, it’s his way to help apart from reviewing courses the way Louis tells him to.

Meanwhile, Liam steps into where Louis was and motioned towards himself. “You called?”

The pirate only told him to handle the helm while he’ll navigate. Liam obliged and had both hands on the wheel. Hook wanted to question Liam so bad, about what they were talking about and what Harry found so funny. But he didn’t want to come off too strong, so he kept thinking about what to ask. He felt unprepared for this, still unaware that he was even pining after a kind boy who wore his heart on his sleeve. The heart that people were currently after for money.

It was quite obvious to Liam, though.

“You two seem to be getting closer to one another,” Louis started, still holding his spyglass to seem uninterested and only wanting to start a conversation.

Liam smiled to himself knowingly. “Yes, it’s quite eventful, Captain. He’s a funny lad too, quite intelligent as well. Very amusing to talk to.” He praised the Prince behind his back. “Taught him to tie a knot, a fast-learner too.”

Louis frowned, he could’ve taught Harry to tie ropes. If the Prince wasn’t such a nosy person, Louis would’ve done more than to let him hold the wheel. Not very nice to think about, so Louis chose not to keep it in his mind for long. “Really? That’s... nice.” He muttered.

“I also gave him access to his bow and arrows in the weaponry.”

Louis almost stumbled as he turned to look at Liam, having a viscous glare on his face that only seemed to intimidate everyone except Liam. “You what? What the bloody hell are you thinking?” He groaned. “One of these days, I ought to get a new first mate.” He scoffed, but Liam knew he didn’t mean it. Smee lost count to how many times his Captain said that already.

“We’re almost near the cove, Captain. And Harry found a shorter course to get us to our destination faster.” Liam told him. “It’d take us more than half the time we wasted in the wrong direction, give or take three months. Two if we’re lucky.” He snickered. “I feel like Harry deserves more than self-defense weapons.”

Louis felt a tad bit annoyed that Liam makes a decision without his approval. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The other man rested his forearms against the helm. “It means that you should teach him how to fence. Who knows who we might be up against at taking the treasure? Seems like our dear Prince here only taught himself to use the bow and arrows.” He shrugged. “He can’t use that if the enemy is up-close. You should teach him.”

Louis snorted, shaking his head. “That’s not happening.”

“At least consider it, he’s in good form.”

“Since when do you make decisions for me?” He furrowed his brows at Liam.

The man held his hands up in defense. “I’m not, I’m only suggesting.”

Louis bit his lip. “Why can’t you do it? Clearly, you two have been spending more time together.” He crossed his arms.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous, Captain.” Liam had a smirk on his face.

Louis rolled his eyes, though he did not deny it. “There you go again with your accusations.” He sighed, fearing the fact that he might be right. “You know what? Fine, I’ll think about your suggestion.” He only agreed to please Smee, which made him grin and thank him. “Why is he so important to you anyway? It’s not like he did something big for you.”

Liam wanted to tell him that the Prince is very important to him because the boy was the only one who could make the Captain this way, in which Liam admired. He felt the urge to protect Harry. In a way, he would be protecting Louis. He chose not to voice out his thoughts, though. Liam simply shrugged. “He’s alright. Could use a great teacher, though.” He chuckled, lightly punching Louis’ shoulder and made him roll his eyes again with a grin.

“Don’t patronize me, Smee.”

“What can I say? Captain Hook knows his way around a sword.” He winked and made Louis widen his eyes at the innuendo, scoffing before patting his back and walking off. Liam was unbelievable and delusional, what makes him think that Harry meant something else to him?

He could see the Prince from afar, giving out plates to his crew members. After the incident with Nick, Louis never spoke to him again. Even Nick kept his mouth shut about the whole situation, said that he fell from the stairs. It was surprising that everyone believed him, since no one ever saw him fall from any staircase. Louis liked to think that everyone felt like the Captain had something to do with it, but it was for a mysterious reason. It’s probably why no one dared to even try to piss Louis off in a while.

Harry sees the Captain so he took a plate and put some meat and seafood into it. He walked to Louis and held out the plate. “I, um... don’t eat meat, but it’s all you have so I settled on cooking them. My specialty is mostly on greens though, and baking. So, it’s not very good.” He shyly said, squinting from the bright sun.

“I see,” Louis hummed, taking the fork from Harry and tasting it. Hook almost groaned at how amazing it felt in his mouth, he can’t believe that this is what Harry referred to as mediocre. “It’s not bad, you know.” Louis mumbled and kept taking food from the plate in Harry’s hands. It was an amusing situation. Since Louis only had one hand and one hook, he can’t exactly hold the plate and eat using a fork while standing up. Louis found it quite interesting how Harry held the plate for him while he ate, definitely very considerate of his situation. For once in Louis’ life, something like this didn’t make him feel weak. Normally, it would.

His comment made the smile grow on the Prince’s face. “That’s great! I still wouldn’t eat it, but that’s a start.” He said.

This boy, whom was a little taller than Louis, was doing things to him. From the way his eyes light up from the smallest things and how he never hides what he feels. It was something else. Louis felt the urge to just reach over and touch his skin to make sure he was real. No boy could ever be this sweet.

Louis let out a chuckle as he put the fork on the plate and took it with him, putting it on the table. “Tell me, do you know how to fence?” He asked Harry.

“Oh, uh... well, I’ve had fencing lessons when I was a child, but that was it.” Harry trailed off. “Why?” He wondered why everyone was thinking of weapons today, are they all going to fight something very dangerous in the near future?

“You’re a Prince who doesn’t know how to use a sword?” Louis asked with disbelief in his voice.

Harry frowned. “Well, my childhood was filled with important things to attend to, I couldn’t just focus on learning to use a sword in order to hurt people.” He remembered when his mother passed away, he couldn’t bring himself to focus on anything else other than mourning and after his grief, he completely forgot about fencing. All Princes must know how to use a sword in order to fight off any creature threatening their kingdom. It was like an unspoken rule that Harry never followed.

“It’s settled then, I’m going to teach you how to fence. And not as a spoiled Prince, too.” Louis said, and it almost made Harry feel offended, but he didn’t think too much of it and focused more on the fact that the pirate was offering to teach him to use a sword. “I’m going to teach you how to fence like a pirate, Charming.” He said.

“What?” Was the first word that came out of Harry’s mouth. What’s with all the lessons he’s being offered lately. First, it’d be sailing lessons with Liam. Now, he gets offered some fencing lessons from the Captain himself? The world was quite odd, Harry thought.

Louis looked at him in confusion. “What, you think I can’t teach you?”

“That’s not-”

“If I may let you know, I’m quite handy when it comes to swords. I’m one of the best. If not, the best.” He bragged, not letting the other boy finish what he was saying.

“Well, aren’t you very humble?” Harry let out a chuckle. “Are you sure about this? You want to teach me here on the ship?”

Louis rolled his eyes. “Where else? Underwater? You’ll die from a mermaid strangling you, not from a sword through your body.” He said, voice laced with a sarcastic tone.

After seeing Liam teach the boy to tie certain knots, it urged him to do even better. For some reason, he saw it in a competitive way. He wanted to become better than Liam, and he wasn’t sure if that was healthy for him or not. The feeling of being unable to do something better than someone who’s supposed to assist him, well, it made Louis feel awful.

Harry’s eyes widened. “There are mermaids in this area?”

“Do you ever stop asking questions?” He said with a laugh.

The Prince’s cheeks flushed. “I just... I’ve never read anything about mermaids, I may have overlooked the books about them in the castle.”

“You rely on books a lot,” Louis started walking while Harry followed next to him. “Books are far from actually experiencing things.”

“Well, it would be hard to have any experience if you’ve been inside a castle for almost all your life.” He muttered, hands behind him as they walked to the edge of the ship where the wind blew the most. “The only times I’ve ever been outside is when everyone else, such as my family, is unaware of it.” He explained as he rested his arms on the cold wooden railing of the ship, seeing water everywhere he turns his head to.

Louis brushed his hook against the wood as he kept the boy’s words in his mind. “I’ve been on many adventures. I became independent at eight and was out of my house the day I turned thirteen. My guess is that things are very different between both of our childhoods.” The pirate squinted against the sunlight, still feeling the cold seep through his jacket slits. “I just believe that experiencing stuff is better than just reading them from a around six hundred pages.” He told Harry, for once not caring who sees them talking calmly to one another. Or maybe, nobody just wanted to ask questions.

Harry slowly nodded. “I guess you’re right. My life as a Prince meant limited choices and most of those choices must benefit all my people.” He let out a breath, feeling the warmth of calm around him. “Like my arranged marriage. I’ve never met a girl, but I have to marry one for an alliance between two kingdoms.” He said, feeling a bit worrisome at the thought of his kingdom, of which was in danger in the hands of his stepmother.

“It is what it is.”

“Captain!” The cry was heard from the highest point of the ship, wherein a young man was scoping before he climbed down the net and jumped into the deck.

Louis walked towards him with a curious look. “What is it? What do you see?”

“An upcoming ship, Captain. Possibly Clock and his crew.” He informed and made Louis sigh and rub his forehead. “Should we prepare the cannons, Captain?”

“If they fire, we fire back. If they don’t, I don’t give a shit about them.” Louis huffed and walked to the other side to use his spyglass. He could barely see the ship, being at the deck and not up there. “Fucking Clock, what the bloody hell does his name even mean?” He muttered under his breath. “Bloody asshole,”

Harry was behind, not sure if he should ask questions about whom Clock was. Ridiculous name, Harry thought. Hook was more interesting, does Clock carry a watch everywhere? The thought made Harry stifle a laugh. What’s with pirates and their stage names? Honestly ridiculous.

“You seem pretty angry at this pirate.” Harry pointed out.

“All pirates have some sort of resentment towards each other. Maybe because one always tries to one up another.” Louis put his spyglass down. “For Clock’s part, he sought for the map we’re currently following. And as usual, I got there first.” The Captain proudly said and looked out into the sea. “Not long before they fire a cannon at us now. It’s quite disappointing how slow they’re being. Their lookout might not be any good like ours. Clarence spotted them first.” He told Harry while rubbing his scruff with his only hand. “And I may or may not have taken something of his.”

The Prince couldn’t say he was surprised, because by now, nothing really shocks him anymore. He learned how Louis followed a certain set of ethics, things that only Pirates would do. Harry can’t exactly say that he’s happy about that, but for some reason, it makes Louis unique in a way. “What kind of something?”

Hook just shook his head. “Something of value, such as a potion.” He muttered.

Harry furrowed his brows. “He’s after you because of a potion?”

“Why do you doubt these objects’ importance? First, the Heart of the Ocean. Now a very important potion I’m saving.” He sighed and turned to look at Harry. “The smallest objects can be a hundred times bigger in value, Charming.” He drew his sword, that settling in his trusty belt. “Now, fence with me, while we wait for Clock’s attack.” He smirked at Harry, turning to a crewman who passed by and took his sword from his belt; the sound of metal sliding against another filled their ears. The crewman was in shock from the sudden and swift movement of his Captain before Louis told him to leave them and tossed the sword towards Harry, who was still in disbelief.

“I’m not going to fence with you, Captain.”

Louis just frowned. “Why not? I’m trying to teach you.”

Harry only laughed. “I’m only skilled with a bow and arrow; I doubt that I can fence.” He refused and tried to give the sword back. “I can’t.”

“What kind of Prince doubts his abilities?”

The Prince just nervously chuckled. “The kind that does not want to accidentally hurt anybody with a sword.” He held the sword up to bring emphasis to it.

Louis scoffed. “As if you can hurt me. Even if you tried, you couldn’t.” He tried to challenge Harry, but he still refused. “Oh, come on.” The pirate complained, groaning in frustration. “I’m bloody bored out of my mind, and Clock-ass is taking way too long to even fire a fucking cannon.” Louis motioned with his metal sword towards where the other ship was. “Swing at me, come on. You were practicing to kill The Dark One anyway.”

Harry only slumped his shoulders. “I wasn’t going to kill him. Just to stun him so Belle and I can escape.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s going to stop a wizard from hunting you down.” Louis snorted.

“Fine, I’ll fence with you.” The Prince frowned, not find the situation as humorous as the pirate does. “But I cannot promise to be good at it.”

The crewmen can see the two preparing to fight each other with swords. They were snickering because a lanky boy dared to even be at combat with a pirate, who actually may be the best fencer out there.

Louis was in his dominant stance, while Harry did not have a clue onto how he has to stand. “Keep your back straight, Charming. If you’re going to die from a sword through your stomach, might as well appear heroic.” He scrunched his nose with a snort, as if to make fun of the other boy’s status as a Prince.

The blunt words struck through Harry as he kept his back straight and held the sword tight in his hands. The two boys were slowly walking to their sides, keeping distance and eye contact between the two of them. “It appears you still keep on calling me by that ridiculous nickname, Captain.” He said, amusement laced in his voice.

“What, you prefer to be called something else, then?”

Harry listened to his voice, eyes following Louis’ boots. The man was slowly coming towards him, it made Harry step back. “Harry would be most preferable.”

Louis thought about it for a moment. He pretended to think about it before shaking his head. Before Harry was even aware, the pirate swings his sword at him and made him stumble back to avoid being hit. His eyes widened, Louis almost sliced him in half! “I-I thought, this was only practicing-”

Louis cut him off with a loud laugh. “You can’t learn how to swim without drowning,”

“Actually-”

He was cut off by another swing accompanied by a swift spin to stop him from saying something very contradicting to what Louis just spoke about, and made him move back again. “What the bloody hell are you doing?” He held his arms out. “Use your sword!”

The Prince was at loss of words. “I thought we were only practicing! You’re supposed to teach me, right?” Harry felt like he was panicking.

“Well, if it was real and you were actually fighting someone, I don’t think the enemy would practice with you first, Charming.” Louis scoffed and swung his sword at him, only for Harry to block it with his own.

Harry was having troubles in fighting off Louis’ incredible strength. For someone who’s shorter than Harry, Hook was really strong and it really messed with the way Harry’s mind was working. Maybe for the fact that he knew that the Captain was fit.

Harry let out a grunt, trying to push Louis off with the sword, but the pirate only let out a laugh again as if it barely affected him. “Not bad, Charming. Now, you push.” He commanded him.

The boy gathered up all his strength and pushed Louis off with a groan, standing in defense with the sword in front of him. “I told you to stop calling me that ridiculous nickname. Prince Charming only exists in the books.” Harry told him, turning his head to the right to get his hair out the way of his vision. “And in every book I’ve read; he’s either awful, unfaithful and only appears when the Princess needs saving. Which is very sexist.”

“Harry is too boring,” Captain Hook was barely even tired all while Harry was panting just from pushing him off with his metal sword. “I’m too lazy to make up another nickname for you.”

The Prince didn’t have time to feel hurt from the word boring. “You don’t have to, I already have a name.” He was the first to attack now, and they were really fencing. Harry was the one walking towards Louis, whilst the Captain calmly walked backwards from the Prince’s strides, as if he was just taking a stroll. The sound of metal clashing and sliding into one another filled the deck, even Liam watched in amusement.

“Like I said, Harry is too boring. Smee’s accent makes it sound like ‘hairy’ and I do not want to think about leg hair while calling you.” Louis kept throwing insults as if it could hurt Harry, but it only made the Prince let out a laugh. “If I’m going to coin another nickname for you, it has to be something,” he trailed off, looking for the word as if they weren’t swinging their swords everywhere. “-obvious.” He finished.

“Obvious? Like Hook?” Harry stepped back and kept their distance again. “I don’t have anything metal attached to my body, or anything memorable.”

It felt ridiculous for them to even talk about this, it was as if they were little children, both stubborn and couldn’t agree on the same things. But in all honesty, it only kept things even more interesting.

Louis rolled his eyes. “You’re very picky; why not just settle for Charming? I think it’s a very understandable name.”

“It’s a name for a stereotypical Prince. Do you want to be named after a stereotypical pirate? Of course, you’d want to be called with a unique name, I don’t see anyone else named Captain Hook.” Harry kept the sword in front of him, just in case Louis decides to attack first.

Louis rolled his eyes. “Picky. You ramble way too much.” He said, choosing to go along with the very ridiculous topic about bloody nicknames. “Let’s see, what’s so physically obvious about you,” he hummed, putting down the sword for a moment. Harry tried not to think too much about it, but knowing Louis, he’d surprise him with his antics. “How about your hair, Curly?”

Harry almost let out a laugh, but he only shook his head at Louis with furrowed brows. “That’s just awful.”

The pirate held his hand, or Harry should say, his hook up in defense. “Apologies, there’s nothing physically interesting about you, Charming. Be grateful for what I said about your hair.”

Prince Harry only chuckled. “Well, thank you for the compliment.” He said, swinging his sword at Louis, in whom the pirate was absolutely prepared for, successfully blocking the Prince’s hit before he pushed him back. Harry groaned as he fell to the ground, knowing he’ll have a bruise on his hip later on.

“I know, I should start calling you ‘Useless Prince Who Cannot Use His Sword Correctly’ or would that be too obvious?” He mocked the Prince who stood back on his feet.

Harry went with it and shrugged. “Too long. Try something shorter, for a change.” He went back to his stance wherein he points the sword at Louis to keep their distance.

Louis thought about it for a minute, observing Harry for something unique about him to transform into a nickname. “You’re quite pale, aren’t you? You’ve been under the sun countless of times and you’re still very much pale.” He pointed out.

The Prince felt a little insecure by that, mindlessly tugging down the sleeves to try to hide his skin. “It’s the way it is, I guess. I don’t do anything with it.”

Hook maneuvered his sword, placing the tip on the wooden floor, humming to himself to think. “I know, I’m such a genius.” He grinned to himself, lifting his sword, swinging at the boy. Harry blocked it, but the man kept pushing until Harry’s own sword was touching the skin under his own neck. “How about Snow White?” He asked with a smirk.

Just like that, Harry’s mind went blank and all he could hear was a ringing in his ear.

He stumbled back, and failed to regain his balance as he fell back on the ground again. His mind felt like it stopped working from the way Louis spoke those two words, that name.

The pirate became concerned when the Prince didn’t get up for the next five seconds, so he went to go to him. Harry, out of reflex, kicked Louis back while he was still on the ground, knocking Louis down as he let out a grunt. “What the bloody hell-”

Harry climbed over him and had a blade against his throat. The crew immediately knew something was wrong as they yelled and started to run towards the commotion happening between their Captain and a Prince they stumbled upon, but Hook only motioned for them to stop. “I got this! Back the fuck off, all of you!” He yelled, keeping his eyes on the boy who held him hostage. “I have to say, you took me by surprise.” Louis tried moving underneath the boy. “But what the fuck are you doing?” He glared at Harry, moving his head but stopping when he felt the blade press harder. “Come on, are you seriously trying to hurt me? I thought you had a thing against hurting people.” He looked like he was more annoyed at how he has to deal with this, than fearing for his own life.

“Where did you learn that?” Harry was aggressive for the first time.

Louis looked at him with confused eyes. “What? Learn what? To fence? I have no bloody idea what you’re on about, mate.” He said through gritted teeth.

“That name, Snow White. Where did you hear that?” He pressed for answers, just like he pressed the sword against the pirate’s neck whilst everyone just watched.

Liam even pulled a random man to control the helm before he went over the scene. “What’s going on?” His eyes widened when he saw the boy on top of the pirate to hold him down hostage. “Capt-”

“Mind your damn business, Smee.” Louis sneered. “And I’ve got no fucking idea what you’re talking about, Charming. I was just making ridiculous nicknames, didn’t think you’d take shit seriously.” He said. “This is bloody hilarious!” He spat, feeling the opposite of what he just said.

“You-”

And there it was, the first cannon. Harry jumped at the sound and climbed off of Louis after a moment. Smee helped the Captain back to his feet, where he calmly brushed himself off and walked to the side of the ship where the cannon hit only the water. “Clock fucking missed, what a bloody idiot.” Louis scoffed. “Ready the cannons, prepare to fire on my signal. We’re not trying to bring the ship down, just to warn them not to mess with us.” He reached for his neck and sighed when he felt a small mark from the sword held up against his throat.

Harry stood by the side, deeply thinking about what happened. Snow White, how did Louis even come up with that specific name and in that pair as well? The man has to know something about a prophecy involving Harry, and possibly even the Queen. He has to, or he never would’ve thought of that specific arrangement of words. It cannot be a coincidence, the Prince refused to believe it.

Captain Hook just waited for the cannons to be prepared. “On my word, fucking cooperate this time!” He yelled in an authoritative voice. This time? “Find your aim, and fire!” Veins appeared on his neck as he raised his voice, two cannon balls being shot into the distance and hitting the side of the other ship. Louis watched the whole thing through his spyglass. “Perfect, now water is flowing into their ship. That’s lovely. I told you all to fucking scare them off, not sink their bloody ship.” He scoffed and shook his head. “Does nobody even try to listen to me in this fucking ship anymore? Am I suddenly talking to a bloody rock?” He exasperatedly claimed, rubbing his scruff with his free hand. “Bloody useless, all of you. Clean this mess up. If they’re ship sinks, make sure they don’t follow us.” Louis ordered one man to take charge.

“Aye, Captain.”

“Now, if anyone doesn’t do what I say, you’re very much welcome to walk the plank and die being eaten by fucking mermaids. A nice memory of you, death by mermaids. Might look good on a fucking gravestone.” He raised his voice, always unable to bite his tongue back. Louis was always the type of person that always had something to say about a situation and never hold back, it’s just the way it is. Without another word, he left and went back to his quarters.

Louis tried teaching a boy how to fence and it ends up with a blade against his throat. The one time he does something good that benefits someone else and not him, he ends up pinned to the fucking ground. Great, just amazing. Captain Hook, being pinned to the ground by a sheltered Prince. Not exactly something he wants his crewmen to think whenever they see their Captain. He can’t believe he let himself be convinced by Liam to even try to educate the boy about using a sword. Giving the Prince any type of weapon is probably dangerous and Louis should not do anything like that ever again in the near future. If Harry wasn’t so nice or had principles, if Harry was a pirate instead of being his current self, Louis’d be dead by now. And he did not like the thought of that. One thing Louis values other than treasure is his life.

Things might’ve ended real badly earlier. He kept reminding himself that Harry doesn’t mean anything to him, but the more he tried to convince himself, the more he thinks that it’s a lie.

Louis didn’t understand why Harry took things too seriously up there. The pirate thought they were fucking around with the nicknames and all those bullshit, Louis didn’t think the boy was serious until he put a sword against him. The Prince even kicked him to the ground without even standing up, which surprised Louis a lot. Didn’t think the Prince was strategic enough to know that he has to go for the legs. An easy way for people to lose balance.

Snow White was a made up name that Louis used to mock the Prince’s unusually pale skin, he didn’t see why it affected him so much. The pirate doesn’t even get what it meant. To him, it’s just a silly nickname he made to keep their odd conversation going, he didn’t think that those were the same words that got Harry to act like a pirate.

Just as he thought, he heard footsteps from the staircase and made him turn around to look at the sheepish looking boy.

“Came to cut my head off?” He looked away from Harry to look at the reflection of his pearly white teeth on his shiny hook, trying to seem unbothered. “You know, there’s another fucked up Queen who does that.”

Harry winced at the mention of a Queen and the fact that he almost cut Louis with his own sword. “I’m sorry, I feel terrible for doing... whatever it was I did. I don’t know what came over me, there was just something about what you said-”

“Snow White?” Louis asked, finishing the sentence for him. “You embarrassed me in front of my crew for a bloody nickname?” He asked in disbelief. “What is it to you, anyway? It’s just a ridiculous name.”

Harry kept his eyes on Louis. “It’s part of a prophecy about me.” He told Louis.

That was when the pirate was silent, and became curious. Prophecies gave him a slight of interest. “A prophecy?”

“Yes, the Dark One mentioned it the day he took Belle, but he never mentioned the complete prophecy or what it meant. It mentioned a person having skin as white as snow, hair as brown as ebony and lips as red as blood.” He explained, wrapping his arms around himself, rubbing his own arms to calm himself from the cold. “That’s all I know, and the Dark One implied that it was about me but he never explained the rest of it. So I snapped when you mentioned Snow White, because-”

“It led you to believe that I might know something.” Louis sighed, scratching the back of his neck. “You’ve got so many problems, Charming. It’s honestly very hard to keep up.” He crossed his arms. “I’ll let this one slide.” He said and it made Harry breathe in relief. “But don’t ever pin me down like that ever again, it hurt my back.” He sounded a bit annoyed. “No offense, I know you couldn’t draw blood from me. You’d never.”

Harry frowned. It bothered him how they look down at the people who couldn’t commit a crime. Aren’t people who have good principles supposed to be praised for it? He didn’t say anything to Louis for a while, just fidgeted with his thumbs and the hem of his shirt.

“I want you to scan over the course we’re following, look for any loopholes.” Louis commanded as he walked past Harry, not sparing him another glance. “Map’s on the table, report to me if you find something.” Were the last words he spoke before he left Harry alone inside the room lit by only three lamps and a small window.

A sigh left the Prince’s mouth before he went to the table and started to skim the map. Though his eyes were on an old piece of paper, he kept thinking about the words ‘Snow White’ and what it meant. Why his skin? Or his hair and lips? None of it made any sense to Harry, he just felt like he missed a lot of things. He can’t exactly confront the Dark One; he’s supposed to save his friend from him, not plan a cup of tea.

Harry thought of how he behaved when Louis spoke those words. He was at disbelief that he would do that. From how he treated Louis, a Captain, right in front of his crew. He never thought he’d act that way, it made him feel ashamed. The Prince could feel his mother looking down at him in disappointment. It was out of character. He did not want to blame it on being surrounded by cunning pirates in the middle of the sea. No one but him was at fault of his own actions.

He had no clue on what to do anymore. Harry had this odd feeling that the pirate knew something; he has been to many adventures. It was honestly impossible for him not to know about Queen Eva, the wife of the King who ruled a vast kingdom. But another part of him wanted to believe that he didn’t, that it was just a mere coincidence. Because why would he explicitly call him by Snow White, if he was trying to hide what he knew? It could just be purely a coincidence and his pale complexion may be very obvious.

But if that was not the case, then it would be very smart for Louis to say those words and then act like it was a coincidence. Harry did not know what to believe anymore, he feels like he’s over thinking everything he’s deducing.

A migraine came creeping up into his mind, making his head hurt from thinking about the situation too much. Was he over thinking? Or is he right, and the Captain was hiding something from him? Part of him did not want to believe that Hook would hide something related to Harry from him, but another part asked why not? He’s a pirate after all, as judgmental as that sounded.

Time passed until the sun was already setting, Louis kept a glare at Nick from a distance and watched him climb the net to go to the highest point of the ship. That bastard, Louis could not forget about what he had done. It’s been days but Louis couldn’t shake the thought off his head.

“Careful, Captain. You might burn the lad with your stare.” Louis heard Liam’s voice as he kept his eyes on the disgusting man.

He let out a scoff. “Nick shouldn’t even be aboard. I mean, who even recruited him?”

“You did, Captain.”

Louis bit his lip. “Well, then. The next time we get to land, I want him off the crew. I hired him and I can fire him, no questions.” He added the last two words quickly. “I want him out.”

Liam frowned, seeing the change of atmosphere as he watched his Captain have a cold look on his face. He wondered what Nick ever did to him. To Liam, Nick was a man who fell down a staircase and hurt his sides and bruised his face. But to Louis? Nick was a rapist, a disgusting man who takes advantage of vulnerable people. Louis may be cruel, but he would never wish for Harry to be treated that way.

Liam didn’t understand, since it was not Louis’ place to spread the word. If anyone had to let Liam know, it should be Harry. Smee did not ask questions, as his Captain ordered. He simply nodded and walked off, giving Hook some space to think.

It was odd; all he seemed to think of was the Prince in his quarters. It annoyed him, thinking of a boy against his own will. He remembers how fearless he was when he pinned Louis down to the ground and held him down with a sword, not even thinking of the other pirates who outnumbered him. Louis shouldn’t have found it hot, he shouldn’t have. But he knows that he did and it affected his emotions.

“Damn it.” He gritted his teeth and ran a hand through his fringe. The pirate couldn’t believe he found the young Prince very attractive now. Harry is supposed to only be a person of whom Louis benefits from, not be attracted to.

Speaking of, he saw the boy walk across the deck while rubbing his hands together for heat. Harry then ran a hand through his long hair to push them back, it left the Captain mesmerized. He couldn’t help it, everything about him just makes Louis’ pulse race. He watched Harry walk towards him, a nervous smile on his rosy face. When the hue of the sun made the boy’s eyes shine brighter, Louis thought he stopped breathing.

Harry laced his long fingers together. “Um, I finished checking the direction we’re headed. We’re clear.” He softly said. “Apologies for the wait, I had to start over a few times.” He said with a sheepish look on his face.

Hook let out a cough to make sure his voice was still in check. “Right, er, that’s good.” He nodded.

“I’m still very sorry for earlier, I behaved out of my-”

“It’s fine. Don’t... don’t think too much of it.” He immediately said, not letting Harry finish and tried avoiding his eyes. “You’re dismissed.”

The Prince only felt confused. Dismissed? He’s never been dismissed by the Captain before. Not wanting to annoy him, he just pressed his lips together and slowly nodded before walking off.

Louis contemplated. “Wait, hold on.”

Harry stopped his movements and turned back around. “Yes?” He had a small smile on his face, enough to even show his lovely dimples.

The Captain gulped. “Uh, I want you to, um,” he had no idea what to make him do. “I want you to clean the Captain’s Quarters.”

The boy tilted his head in confusion. “You want me to clean your room?” He asked with a dimpled grin, a little amused by the thought. Louis seemed to not enjoy having a clean room because, and Harry quotes, it was messy in his eyes.

Louis sighed and waved him off, trying to seem annoyed. “Should limit the number of questions you’re allowed to ask in a day.” He announced to him and made the other boy giggle to himself, instead of being offended. Louis’ heart fluttered, and he felt so confused of himself. “Just get it done.”

“Yes, Captain.” Harry said in a teasing manner before walking away.

Louis watched him walk away, he even had grace in his way of walking. Of course he did, he’s a Prince. Louis shouldn’t be surprised. The way he addressed Louis as Captain, it didn’t contribute into the suppression of whatever he was feeling.

“Are you alright, Cap?” He almost jumped at the voice of his first mate, who he saw grinning. “You seem out of it.” He laughed as he glanced at what Louis was watching and saw the boy walk down the stairs into his Captain’s chamber. Now he got it. “Ah, well. I see.”

Louis scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He shook his head. “Get back to work, Smee.” He told him before walking away.

“You got it, Captain.” Liam chuckled as Hook walked away from him.

Louis sighed to himself. He has to get this boy out of his mind before he loses it.

Hours passed and it was safe to say that Louis was definitely losing it. When he sees the boy sitting on his bed with his legs crossed and a paper and pen in hand, Louis did not know what to say or how to greet him. He was struggling to accept that he was starting to look at Harry in a way that he never thought he would.

The green eyed boy looked up and greeted him with a smile, not noticing his drunken state. “Hello, I hope you don’t mind. I’ve got nothing else to do.” He told him as he gestured towards the paper he took from one of Louis’ notes.

“I don’t care.” He simply said as he kicked his shoes off and took a flask full of rum before drinking from it. He ignored the boy completely; a really bad way to cope with whatever he was starting to feel. He didn’t want to feel this way, it made him feel vulnerable.

Harry bit down his red lower lip, watching the pirate take a seat on his desk and drank from his flask while taking his jacket off with a tired sigh. He wasn’t sure if he should try to ask if he’s alright, but from how he was drinking, he did not want another yelling fit from the man.

Louis’ had been drinking before he even got here, so he was definitely tipsy by now. “What are you writing?” He asked, head hurting from the string alcohol he’s been drinking. “Waste of good paper.”

The boy glanced at him, cheeks rosy and eye warm as he chose to ignore the last comment. “Not writing, I’m drawing.” He showed him a small drawing of a ship, most likely the very ship they were on. “See?”

Louis grabbed the paper and held it close to his eyes. “That’s... that’s actually pretty good.” He was impressed, tilting his head in various angles to look at the drawing.

The scene made Harry chuckle before he took the paper back. “Why, thank you, Captain.”

The pirate brought the flask into his lips again, tasting the sweetness of rum. “Louis.”

The Prince hummed. “That’s your name.” He slowly said, not knowing where this was going as he went back with his drawing and made a few shades onto corners.

“Yes, I am aware.” His tone was sarcastic. “Call me it.”

Harry turned to him with a confused expression. “But-”

“And I’m commanding you to do something. Call me it.”

The Prince bit his lip, a little hesitant. “Louis.”

There was something about how the pirate slowly smiled at the sound of his name coming from the Prince himself. “That’s better.”

His words made Harry’s cheeks redden. “Well, alright then.”

“Say it again.”

Now, this would be the time that Harry would stop and tell the Captain to get some rest, but it was too amusing to see him act this way. “Louis.” He whispered, feet rubbing together from the cold as he slipped under the sheets.

The man hummed, taking another drink from the rum he had. “My name sounds way better when you say it; it sounds awful in my own head.” He chuckled and rested his arm on the desk, swinging the flask from left to right.

Harry did not know how to reply to that, so he kept silent and continued his drawing.

“How do you do it?” Harry heard the man’s soft and sleepy voice from how he buried his face into the crook of his arm.

The Prince turned his head to look at the pirate again. “Do what?”

Louis grimaced, as if he doesn’t know how to put it in words. “Be... be that way. And not care about what everyone else would think.”

The way he said those words were heartbreaking, it made him frown. “What way are you talking about?” He wished that it wasn’t about what he did earlier to him, Harry was trying to forget about that bit.

The air surrounding them was suddenly suffocating. As if it was filled with poison and made Louis’ breathing pattern be way off. “Like that, being nice to everyone even after they’ve been an asshole to you. That shit is hard to do, mate. I have no clue how you do it all the time.”

Harry didn’t mind him swearing. If they were within the castle and a royal overheard their conversation, they’d be frowned upon. Yet, the Prince didn’t mind. It wasn’t at all awful to him hearing these kinds of words. Or maybe he was starting to get used to it, he has never heard of anyone in the palace curse.

“My mother taught me to be this way. The kingdom was the happiest it’s ever been when my mother became Queen.” He started, drawing light strokes with his pencil on the paper. “I sort of lived up to her word, to keep her alive. Her principles are what I have left of hers.”

The pirate just let out a hum, Harry wasn’t even sure if he heard his explanation. “Righteous, righteous Prince.” He slurred out, and raised the flask again.

“Whoa there, Captain.” Harry immediately reached over to take the flask from him before he took another sip. “Easy on the alcohol.” He gently said, standing over the man who sat on the chair with his feet up.

“Call me Louis.” He simply said.

Harry fought off a smile, but failed a little. “Apologies, Louis.” He softly said and just made the man nod. “So, what happened to that other ship? Crock, was it?” He questioned.

The gesture made Louis grimace of pain. “Clock,” he corrected him. “Nonsensical name. They only changed course to avoid me. And I need that rum, don’t take it away from me.” He tried reaching for the flask, but Harry held it over his long hair with a small giggle. His movement made his shirt rise only a little bit, exposing the soft of his stomach.

It seemed like the pirate forgot who himself was from being filled with alcohol, head to toe. Silence washed over them for a moment before he decided to reach over to touch Harry’s skin, making the boy’s stomach dip from the contact. Harry felt nervous but not in the way he was afraid of Louis. But in a way he felt like time could cease to exist and make Louis stop whatever he was doing.

Harry could feel the other man’s fingers brush against his hip, bruises from earlier’s brawl were fading on his pale skin while he watched the expression on Louis’ face change to something unreadable. “Pretty,” he whispered, more likely to himself rather than to Harry.

The single word gave Harry butterflies and it made his stomach twist in knots, which he thought only existed in the books he read. The way he touched him was careful and gentle, it made Harry feel like everything was okay. Louis’ eyes pierced through his, and he couldn’t look away. He craved that feeling, but he knew this was wrong. The man was intoxicated after all.

So as much as he didn’t want to pull away, he dropped his arm and stepped back from Louis to put the flask away.

For Louis though, it felt like a rejection. He frowned to himself, eyes half closed as he made his way towards the bed to be more comfortable. Harry didn’t mind, it would be better for him to sleep on the sofa again. He turned around and saw the pirate already asleep on the bed, barely even snoring. The Prince stifled a smile as he walked over and tucked him in to keep the man warm. It seemed like he appreciated it in his sleep, since he wrapped the piece of cloth around himself even more while his eyes were closed.

Harry could never figure him out, he was too hard to read. But then again, Louis wasn’t one of the books in the Prince’s shelves. Everything about him wasn’t exactly laid out for Harry to just know. But Captain Hook does provide pieces to be put together.

The word ‘pretty’ echoed in his mind, making him wonder how much of tonight would be remembered by the other man tomorrow. Probably not much, he knew how Louis handled his rum. The many times he encountered Louis being drunk lacked the kind of events that happened tonight. Mostly, they were just filled with commandments of taking off the Captain’ boots or bringing him something to drink other than rum. That was it, words were barely exchanged between both of them. So there was barely anything to remember for the next day. Not until tonight, this was the first time the pirate complimented him in that way. Or even touched him that way.

As Harry lied down on the wooden surface, he had a smile on his face. A hopeful smile, the feeling granted him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you'd like :)  
> help me improve my writing <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: the prince learned that the pirate crew used to be a navy for king midas; louis was a firstmate and someone else was the captain. louis grew somewhat jealous of how harry and liam are spending a lot of time together. the captain and the prince fenced together while having a ridiculous discussion about nicknames, which ended with harry accusing louis of knowing something about his prophecy for saying 'snow white'. a rival of louis, clock, was mentioned. it was revealed that louis liked to steal potions from different pirates. liam started to notice how louis was acting different ever since harry got to the ship. louis got drunk and harry took care of him. the prince was starting to some of the good sides of louis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had to reupload this, sorry x

The next day, he woke up with the pirate still asleep on his own bed. It was different, Louis always woke up before he does.

Harry stood up and rubbed his eyes before stretching his arms and sighing when he feels his muscles contracting. It made him feel some type of relief. The sunlight seeped through the small window from above, it almost blinded Harry. He scratched the back of his neck as he stood up and went to the Captain's desk to take the piece of paper he was drawing on.

As he looked at the drawing, he heard a groan coming from the Captain in bed. Harry watched as Hook sat up and rubbed his eyes. He smiled to himself, watching a sleepy Louis who just awoke.

Louis glanced at him, squinting lightly. “What are you looking at me for?” He said in an annoyed tone, but his morning voice was raspy and rough that it sent shivers down Harry's spine.

The Prince immediately caught on; Hook was not a morning person. Though, this was the first time he ever saw Louis wake up. “Good morning to you too, Captain.” He greeted with a laugh.

“Thought I told you to call me Louis.” He mumbled and stood up to slide his boots back onto his feet.

Harry licked his dry lips. Does that mean Louis remembered what happened last night? The boy shouldn't make a big deal out if it, but due to his lack of experience with this kind of human contact during his time in the palace, it was a really big thing for him. Especially since it's Louis Tomlinson, the fearless Captain of the Jolly Roger. “R-right, uh, are you sure? You were pretty intoxi-”

“Are you saying I can't handle my liquor?”

“No!” He defensively said. “No, of course not. It's just that.. I wasn't sure if you remembered.” He muttered, watching the Captain tie his boots tightly.

“Wouldn't have asked if I'd be a bitch with my substances. Call me Louis, alright? You're not part of my crew, why should you call me as your Captain?” He said.

Harry wanted to add that the man wanted him to address the pirate as Captain the day he got here, but he figured that he better not. “I'll call you that, then. Louis.” He softly said, voice as sweet as peach.

Louis' lips almost curled to a smile, but the time in the morning stopped him from even feeling the slightest bit positive, and let out a groan. “My bloody head hurts. Get me something to eat, Charming.”

“We're back with Charming?”

“Look, Harry. I'm having a hangover so I'd appreciate it if you limit yourself from asking question. Or better yet; don't ask at all.” He said, very cranky in the morning that it mostly amused Harry and not upset him. “I'm hungry, get me food.”

Harry figured that he should just do what he says and so he left the room. The moment he stepped outside, he squinted at the bright light from the sun. He soon saw Liam, who was carrying barrels to the other side of the ship.

“Morning, Mr. Smee.” Harry stopped by to greet him, watching as the man put the barrel down and fix the red beanie on top of his head.

“Morning, Your Highness. Is the Captain still in bed? He usually comes out to navigate pretty early.” Liam put his hand on his own hip as he tried to avoid the sunlight hitting his eyes by blocking it with his palm positioned above his brows. “I would say he's late, but he's the Captain.” He said, humor laced with his tone.

The curly haired boy only let out a soft laugh. “He was a bit intoxicated before he went to bed. He's currently having a hangover and asked me to get him something to eat.” 'Asked' seemed to sound a lot nicer than 'demanded for' in this situation.

“You should make him a cup of tea, he would need some. Usually, he asks me, but you can do it. I don't doubt the fact that you've made tea before.” Liam smiled at him.

“How does the Captain like his tea?” He questioned.

“Boiling hot.”

Harry felt concerned. “Wouldn't that burn his tongue though?”

Liam chuckled. “Trust me, the lad can go through anything.” He walked Harry to the small kitchen and looked for the herbs they use for tea. “I'll make the tea so watch closely. We don't exactly have teabags like you Royal lot, so we make our own tea. Hope you don't mind.” He said, lighting a fire and putting a kettle above it before pouring some water.

Harry watched with fascination. “No, of course not. Why would I? It's amazing!” He expressed his astonishment, really not used to not having teabags for making tea. He was used to having hot water in a cup and just plopping a teabag inside of it, not the natural way of making tea.

He watched Liam's every move and memorized how much herb and how many times he had to stir it before Smee finally set the cup down onto a thin and small tray. “Take this to the Captain, alright? He'll feel better in no time.” He assured him. “Tell him to be here when he feels better, yeah?”

“Yes, and thank you, Smee. This is wonderful.” He gently said, looking for some piece of bread to go along with the tea before he walked back to the quarters, careful not to spill any of the tea that Smee made for Louis. It was hard to open the door but he managed to maintain his balance. Harry walked down the stairs and the Captain immediately caught a whiff of a very familiar smell.

“I brought you some tea and bread, is that okay with you?”

“Did Liam make the tea?”

Harry set the tray down on the table and brought the tea to the Captain. Usually, Harry would have a small plat under it but they didn't have any so he used his hand and tried to fight off the pain of the heat. “Yes, he offered to. He sounded like he needed you at the deck when you feel better.”

With that being said, Louis huffed and sat up on his bed, going to the edge of the bed to stand up and take the hook from the table and locking it into his arm.

Harry frowned as he moved to get out of the pirate's way. He put the tea down since it was too hot. “You don't have to leave now, Smee said until you get better.”

Louis shook his head. “He means is that he needs me now.” He blinked rapidly after standing up way too fast.

Concern filled Harry when he saw how dazed the man seemed. The way he kind of stumbled while walking just confirmed that he drank way too much last night and is probably still drunk, instead of having a hangover. The tea was still burning as Harry motioned towards it. “Are you not going to have your tea?”

Louis hesitated for a bit, but when he saw how concerned Harry was, he sighed and just took the cup and sipped it. Harry noticed how elegant he was while sipping his tea, much like how a Royal would.

Hook closed his eyes while taking a deep breath and exhaling. His eyes opened and revealed a dazzling blue color to Harry, the Prince bit his lip at the scene before him. “That feels much better. You can have the bread. Finish it for me, would you?” His question didn't seem like it was an offer, it was more like Louis needed reassurance that Harry would indeed have the bread for himself.

The Prince found himself nodded, still deep in thought while he looked at Louis. His pulse seemed to race quite a lot whenever he does, it almost made him fear that the pirate might hear it.

“Good.” He sipped his tea, but didn't finish it all as he put it down the small plate again as if he wasn't bothered by the hot temperature of the teacup. “I'll be upstairs.” Louis said before asking himself why he even added that. Of course, Harry knew where he was going. Where else would he go? He seemed a lot more stupid around Harry sometimes.

The boy didn't notice though and just offered him one of his kind smiles. It made Louis feel warm inside, much more warm than the tea he just had. “Okay, I'll be here. Would you mind if I use some papers? I'll be thrifty of them and use both sides?” He asked, immediately throwing in his last condition to convince Louis. Harry would be bored out of his mind if he doesn't do anything he normally does, such as drawing.

To Harry's surprise, Louis didn't even seem to hesitate. “There are some that I don't use in the middle drawer. Be my guest.” His voice was low, but it was kind. In Louis' mind, it felt easy to be nice to Harry. Probably because Harry wasn't like any person Louis has met in his lifetime, he knows that Harry would never judge him.

It made Harry smile, very thankful for him. “I appreciate it, thank you.”

Louis only nodded at him as he spared him one last glance before leaving the room. The papers in Harry's hand were rough and they seemed like the type of paper used for drawing. Harry wanted to assume that Louis did it on purpose, but he didn't want to over think things and kept in his mind that these papers were just unused for Louis. Harry took a pencil from Louis' desk, the one he used last night, and sat on the sofa to start with his drawing of a familiar hook.

Everything felt different for Louis. It seemed that the world was going out of its way to make his life even more miserable. Last night, he dreamt of nothing more than green eyes and a dimpled smile. This morning, those were the first things he saw the moment he opened his eyes. It was like the universe was playing a trick on him, as if the Earth was a mere chessboard.

Louis did not want to admit to himself, but bloody hell was Harry beautiful. He understood that almost all Princes were attractive, but there was something about Harry that makes him feel like Louis was missing out on a lot of things. On everything, actually. And Louis has been to more adventures than Harry ever has, why does the boy make it feel like the pirate has never explored anything that mattered?

What makes matters worse is that Louis never hated the feeling. The feeling he hates is the way that he feels like it's okay to be this way, if that even made sense. He didn't like that he seems to be alright with this.

As he walked to the deck, he sees Liam by the wooden railing. Louis looks up to see someone else at the helm before he made his way to Liam. He catches a glimpse of the small pendant Liam was holding and frowned. “You alright, mate?”

His voice startled Liam before he immediately hid the pendant in his pocket. “Yes, Captain. I'm fine.” He muttered.

Louis was quiet for a while before he decided to accompany him, settling his arms on the surface of the railing as he watched the vast space of the sea. He hesitated. “Is.. is this about Z?”

Liam's silence confirmed his question before Louis sighed.

“It's been years, Smee.”

“It doesn't feel that way, Louis.” He dropped the Captain to First Mate act. Louis didn't mind. He was here not as his Captain, but as his friend. Liam just bit his lip, not wanting to look at Louis. “It's not.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry.” Louis mumbled.

Zayn was another touchy subject for Liam. It would be if the one person someone loved disappears into a dangerous forest one day and never came back, especially when they never got the chance to let them know how they feel. They'd be crushed. Just like how Liam felt when he realized that Zayn was not coming back. The three of them were the best of friends, though Zayn lived in another village. He would visit though, no matter how far. And from that, they grew a strong bond. But in Louis' case, Liam and Zayn might've had a stronger one.

When Louis turned eighteen, they all decided to leave their homes to seek another opportunity. King Midas' kingdom was the nearest and sounded promising for the young lads. So they signed up as crewmen and soon after, Zayn was promoted as their Captain.

“It's okay, I'm sorry for snapping. It's just that..” Liam sighed, voice shaky as well as his hands. “It's his birthday today.” He softly said.

Louis didn't even know, he lost track of the dates. He doesn't even know how Liam kept track, they did not have anything to count the days unless Liam actually tallied the days until he got three hundred and sixty-five.

He just felt sympathetic of Liam. “I'm sure he wouldn't want you to be all gloomy on his day.”

Liam cracked a smile. “Yeah, he would've flipped me off or flicked me upside the head.” He chuckled, thinking of the times he had with Zayn.

Louis had a small smile on his face. Zayn inspired him a lot, even though they fight almost every day. Now, he only misses those silly arguments with him.

Zayn made Liam so happy and calm, Louis could still remember them. They seemed like a couple but they identified as friends. Louis remembered how he encouraged Liam to get together with Zayn, but the boy always refused.

Being Zayn's first mate was truly an honor for Louis. He learned so much from him and looked up to him for years. When he passed, it sparked a rage inside of Louis. One that can never be solved by a mere discussion with the King who sent them to that horrid place. Zayn's death was the start of Louis' new life. He became a pirate, and turned the whole crew into pirates. Liam was in shock of what happened and was barely even aware of the rebellion that was starting. He could only think of the raven haired boy whom he was in love with, probably captured and killed by blood thirsty young boys. Now, Zayn was lost forever. He could never have survived that forest full of killers.

Louis chuckled to himself. “Remember when Zayn tried firing a cannon on his first day and he ended up firing our ship's floorboards?” He laughed at the memory, the thought made Liam grin. He remembered. “I still don't know how he ended up Captain, he put a hole in our deck.” He humorously said, very amused at the memory.

Louis could list down endless memories of which Zayn brought joy to both him and Liam. But that was one of the funny ones Louis couldn't help but mention it.

“That was quite funny. King Midas almost turned him into gold.” Liam smiled. “But he already was, wasn't he?”

“Yeah, he was something else.” Louis mumbled, thinking deeply.

To Louis, Zayn was someone who changed him a lot. He was one of the closest friends he ever had, apart from Liam. Unlike Zayn and Liam's relationship, Louis and Zayn were more platonic than that. The pirate felt like he snapped when the realization of Zayn never coming back to their ship washed over him, and especially when he saw the look on Liam's face when he realized it as well. He could still hear the hollers and cheers and the anger towards the King. The echoes of his own voice expressing his anger when he started their own rebellion, it was still in his mind. It always comes to mind whenever the first Captain was brought up.

Liam looked down, brown eyes contrasting with the blue ocean. “You're a good Captain, Louis. He would've been very proud of you.” He muttered.

Hook only bit his lip, thinking about what Liam just said. Was everything he did, something to be proud of? For Zayn to be proud of? He wasn't quite sure, but he moved his head in neither a shake or a nod. “He was not ruthless.” He almost added the words 'as I' but he could never compare the two of them. After his death, he changed into someone he never thought he could.

Liam didn't know how to reply to that. “Well, he wasn't exactly a pirate. Don't doubt yourself, he would've admired your leadership.”

In all honesty, Louis blamed himself for it. He blames himself that Zayn got trapped and died. He should've gone after him, that's what he felt. They all should've gone searching for Zayn. But it was too late, he couldn't go back to that place anymore even if he had the courage to. Louis had too much pride in himself to even label that event as a traumatic experience for himself.

When no other words were exchanged, Liam cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Where's Harry?” He asked out of curiosity.

Louis felt like Liam already knew where the boy was, where else could he be? “He's drawing back there.” He answered.

“What was that about? Yesterday?” He questioned, only thinking about it now.

The roll of the pirate's eyes said it all. “He snapped when I spoke of a silly nickname we were making up. It was honestly ridiculous.” He said.

A nickname? That was quite odd. “What did you say to him?” Liam asked, very much interested by the whole ordeal.

“Snow White, a very awful name too. I was just making fun of him.” He shook his head to himself.

His first mate got confused. “Snow White? That.. doesn't even sound like it mean something.”

“I know!” Louis claimed, quite annoyed. “He had the audacity to pin me down like that in front of everyone.”

“He wouldn't have hurt you, though. You know that right?”

A scoff came from Captain Hook's lips. “Of course, I know that. He's too soft to be a pirate. It just pissed me off that the whole crew was watching, honestly humiliating.” He said, not knowing if he needed another sip from his rum or the tea that was slowly growing cold inside his quarters. “It's apparently part of a prophecy about him. Something about his skin being pale as snow and other lines involving his lips and hair, I don't bloody remember.” He spoke, but lied.

Louis remembered the prophecy word by word, it wasn't too hard since he watched the boy's lips move as he talked. He just didn't want to seem like he cared way too much about Harry. Louis was just very interested about prophecies. That's what he tried to believe in.

“How odd, where is the prophecy written anyway? It may not even exist.” Liam countered, skeptical about the prophecy even existing.

“He doesn't even know what it meant. The Dark One hinted it to him, but never told him the full prophecy. His life is very confusing, if I do say so myself.” Louis sighed to himself, hating that he even let the Dark One's name roll off his tongue.

Liam just frowned at the mention of the wizard, instantly looking at Louis. “I should've known. You should at least tell Harry that Ru-” he stopped himself when he saw the sharp look on Louis' face. “The Dark One, doesn't tell the truth all the time. He could be making this all up.”

He had a point there, Louis understood. From experiences, the Dark One had a few tricks up his sleeve. Even made Louis believe that he would finish the deal. Rumpelstiltskin and Louis never had a good working relationship. In fact, Louis absolutely despised him with every bit of his body.

“Yeah, well, we know what happens if you even mess with him.” He sighed, looking gown at his glinting hook. The pirate is so used to having this hook that he forgot what it felt like to have a hand there instead of metal.

Their conversation was cut short when they heard a thudding of footsteps. It was one of the men in the ship, he did not look happy. “Captain, we've scoped the area and there's a possibility that the cove is near.” He said. “But from how the clouds are looking ahead, a storm is coming up. Might be here by the end of the day.”

Louis just bit his lip, there were always problems encountered when the Jolly Roger goes through a storm. They could be very dangerous, he even lost a few men to the sea. “Right, prepare the ship until then. You all know what to do.” He sternly said, hook behind his back while his hand was placed on his stomach.

The man only nodded and walked off, announcing to the crew to get to their assigned places to prepare for this upcoming storm.

“You should warn Harry,” he heard his friend speak to him. “He might not know what to do.”

Harry probably has never experienced a storm, much less in the ocean. A nod was exchanged between him and Liam, with the brown eyed boy patting his back and walking to the side of the ship to leave Louis with his thoughts. Worry filled his body, not knowing what might happen. The last storm they encountered was around a year ago. The Captain couldn't exactly say he was thankful that not everyone was killed during it; he still lost men.

But Louis wasn't sure if this storm would be like that. Hopefully, it wouldn't be as bad as it was before. It was hard to handle a big storm because yelling out orders is not enough to keep the ship standing.

When Louis came back to his room, he finds Harry on his feet right in front of the doorway to the small bathroom. He placed a piece of paper on the wooden door as he wrote something on it with a pencil he found. The pirate raised his brows at the scene, why didn't Harry just use the bloody table? The moment his eyes went to the boy's hips and thick thighs, he looked away and rubbed the stubble on his chin.

Louis wasn't sure how to catch the boy's attention so he just cleared his throat, and the sound made Harry turn his head and smile. “Back so soon?”

“There's a storm coming around this afternoon, I want you prepared.” He ignored what Harry had said as he walked to his desk and gathered his compass as well as a rag to clean his spyglass with. Louis did not like having unclear lens to see stuff with. “Things like these happening in oceans are far more deadly than in land.”

The Prince pouted. “A storm? Sounds dangerous.” He softly said, hands pressing against his own chest as he clutched the paper in his fist. It made Louis curious, yet he did not ask questions. “Is there anything I could do to help?”

“I would like it very much if you just stay here and not cause any more trouble.” He simply said.

The words he used upset Harry only a little bit, but he knew that Louis was right. Harry definitely has caused so many inconveniences for Louis. He should be thankful that this pirate hasn't thrown him out into the sea. “W-what if it gets really dangerous?”

Louis sensed the slight fear in his voice. In all honesty, he pitied the boy. He pitied the way he never experienced reality. Harry probably remained in a castle for all his life with barely any contact with the people on the outside. Louis was willing to bet that Harry had all the basic needs that the pirate lacked during his childhood; food, a warm bed, his own room, and a complete family. It wasn't like the pirate envied the boy, it was more like he pitied him for lacking any true obstacles in life. Yes, losing your parents and having your stepmother want to get rid of you are obstacles in life, Louis didn't doubt that. But small things like storms, sailing ships and even fencing were things that Harry never even got to experience since he was surrounded by walls his entire life. He did not have to worry about anything else in life except how to be a good King. The thought of having all that ripped away and being put in a place you've never been before, Louis cannot imagine how it is for Harry.

So he just sighed, thinking of how Liam once said to Louis that he should make Harry feel comfortable here. “It won't, alright? We're handling things. What I ask of you is to stay here while we do our job. We made a deal, remember? I provide safe passage while you help me get my treasure.” He recalled and walked up the stairs, stopping midway when he heard Harry's calming voice.

“Be safe up there, okay?” The concern in Harry's tone made Louis look at him. It was genuine worry, and the pirate didn't know how to feel.

Louis shook the odd feeling off and shrugged. “It's not happening yet, yeah? Calm down.” He said with a low tone before climbing up the stairs to leave Harry.

The Prince felt really worried, not wanting anything to happen to Louis at all. Harry was starting to accept the fact that he cared about the man, maybe too much. The mysterious aura he radiates, only drew Harry in. Louis was a book that refused to be read, and that fact alone just makes Harry even more curious on what was written inside. He looked down at the note he wrote and hesitated before he tore it into pieces, throwing it into a box.

Harry cared about Louis, but he knew that after all of this, once Louis got his treasure, he'll just push Harry aside and take him to the Dark One's castle. Harry will leave and never see him again. That'll be because Louis got what he wanted, and he followed certain ethics of a pirate. There was no doubt that Captain Hook would toss Harry aside after he's done with him, it made Harry feel upset.

Maybe he shouldn't waste his blooming feelings on this man. Harry was inexperienced, he had no idea what it felt like to care about someone in that way. He has never even met anyone where he could honestly feel a possibility of him seeing that person in a specific way. Much less a pirate too, the label that could make anyone shake in either fear or anger. He could only imagine the reaction from Royals all throughout the realm when they learn that a Prince was growing affections for a lowlife with no principles—something they saw pirates as. He didn't want to over think this and assume that if he diverts his attention to something else, these ridiculous feelings would just vanish into thin air.

Ever since last night, Harry knew that he had something for Louis. He still blushes at the thought of the man's fingers brushing against his skin. Thinking about it just gave him goose bumps.

He should not be thinking of the man this way, it was more than inappropriate. But his fingers on his skin made him think of his thin lips grazing against his neck, something he has never thought of anyone doing to him before. Harry felt improper for thinking about things like that, but he couldn't help it.

The pirate probably thinks he was some kind of childish boy anyway, recalling yesterday's events. Harry was still shameful of what he did, but since Louis did not make a big deal out of it, he tried not to as well. Whatever Harry's been imagining lately, none of those would happen.

He hated not having Belle around. Since Harry was very open, he needed someone to tell his problems about. Belle was always that person, and Harry didn't need to worry about who Belle would tell because she would never. Keeping these many secrets is really taking a toll on Harry.

Liam, perhaps? No, he and Louis seemed like they're great friends. No offense to Liam but there's a great possibility that he would tell. Harry frowned, not having anyone else in mind since the only people he ever talks to in the ship was the Captain and Smee. He occasionally talks to the other men, but only sometimes. He had no one to spill his feelings to, so it was probably best if he tucked his emotions away in his mind. Yes, it would be best if he does that instead.

Harry does not understand, though. What is it about Louis that made him feel this way? The man has been nothing but mean to him! But actually, he has been quite considerate of Harry. Even after all the awful things the boy has done to him. If it were a different pirate, Harry was positive that he'd be rotting under the sea somewhere if he had done again what he did to him. And Harry had to admit, Louis was quite good-looking.

The Prince was quite nosy and organized, things a pirate would hate. Actually, Harry's entire being is something a pirate would despise. Yet, here he was, in the room of the Captain who promised him a safe passage.

He did not want to disappoint the one handed pirate again, so he remained well behaved in the room until the sun went down.

Many hours later, a bored little Prince was sat on the floor when he saw the bottles shaking on the shelf in the corner of his eye. Harry furrowed his brow and stood up to align the bottles neatly again. The boy was about to go back to his place where he was drawing, but jumped when the empty rum bottles fell and shattered on the ground. Harry stared at the tiny pieces and just before he was about to clean it up, he felt like his axis tilted and made him moved to his left. His side hit the shelf with a grunt, trying to push himself up. One of the lamps were about to fall, but Harry immediately caught it in reflex. He anxiously blew all the lamps out, in fear that it might set the room on fire. It took him a second to realize that they're already experiencing the storm that Louis warned him of.

“Pull the bloody sails, you idiots!” At the deck, Louis' voice boomed while the loud and hard rain was making his vision blur as well as his deafened his ears. His wet hair was matted into his forehead. The sun barely set when they entered the storm wherein the clouds blocked the out the sun and only rained down on them. Louis hooked himself on the rope to keep him from sliding to any part of the ship.

It was raining so hard, the sounds of raindrops hitting the wooden floor was too loud. The rumbling of thunder among the clouds only warned them for more up ahead. At first, it was just a little bit of rain and so they continued with their journey. Right now, all Louis could think of is not letting the ship topple over.

Liam was grunting at how much the ship was moving as he tightly handled the ship's helm, struggling to keep it stead because of the waves. He feared that this storm may be stronger than the last one they dealt with. “Captain! Up ahead!”

Hook immediately wiped the lens of his spyglass and used this to look into where Liam called out to him. He saw flashes of light and cursed under his breath. This was going to be a big mess, he knew it. Louis watched his crew work together to keep the sail steady. The wind was getting too strong and he knew that this storm was going to fuck with their course. The pirate climbed down from the railing and did his best to walk to the helm area, where he sees Liam grunting at trying to hold the wheel. Hook immediately joined him to balance the wheel, but it was too heavy and the waves were really fighting them off.

It was too late for Louis to give up as he checked the deck to make sure everyone was doing their job. A struck of lightning hit the ocean just meters away from them, it made Louis' pulse race.

He had no idea how long the storm went on, it was pure agony just trying to make sure everything was in place. Louis witnessed some wooden poles cracking only from the strong wind. He feared that one of them might snap and break, maybe even hit one of the men.

Louis spoke too soon and before he knew it, a deep scream came from the railings of the deck as a loud thud from the wood was heard, followed by a splash. The crewmen stared off into where the sound came from with cold stares. Louis wasn't sure who that was, but it only gave him anxiety. He decided to cut their grief short, though. “Shift the sails!” He yelled out to someone, anyone who would listen to him. Two men pulled on different ropes to keep the sail from changing position. Any change from it will result to them going to a different direction.

Harry was trying to put all the things on the floor to prevent them all from falling. He kept losing his balance and tripped most of the time, he could only imagine what was happening upstairs. He hoped that Louis was safe, but the man was brave and strong so Harry had nothing to worry. Also Liam, he knew he was alright. All of them seemed to know how to take care of themselves except Harry. Maybe that's why he had to stay in a room.

He was sure that bruises were starting to form on his knees due to his fair complexion. From the number of times he lost his balance, he had no doubt. It was dark inside the room now, since he blew out the lamps to prevent a fire starting. The only light he had were the frequent strikes of lightning outside the ship. Harry was absolutely terrified whenever he looked out the window. Harry felt droplets of rain on his face and always jumped at the sound of thunder.

He has seen drawings of lightning on books before, but nothing could compare to the way he's seeing one up close.

He wondered how the men were on the deck, he hoped that they were all safe no matter how awful they were to him.

The storm was very strong and Harry has never seen anything like it. He wasn't even sure if he preferred staying inside the room or if he should go out there and help as much as he could. But he remembered what the Captain said, so he remained inside the room. When water was starting to drip from the gap of the door, he was sure that the deck was soaked. Harry reached for the nearest pipe and held onto it to balance himself, a little anxious from the thunderbolts and lightning outside. It's been hours when the storm had started, Harry counted the seconds to keep himself sane.

Rainwater trickled down the staircase, darkening the wood. Harry was mortified, he had no idea what to do. He felt so utterly stupid for being so clueless. He's supposed to be very smart since he probably read almost every book there is. But right now, he's experiencing things and had no clue on what he should do. The young Prince felt lost, unaware of what the future may hold.

Louis threw orders here and there to keep the ship steady, but the waves were getting taller and bigger. He put all his faith into the majestic vessel. His voice was hoarse from the yelling and his hand was tired from steadying the helm. The waves kept going higher and sliding back down to the ocean, almost covering the ship but only grazes it. Some water from the talk waves settled on the deck, but the pipes on all sides of the ship prevented it from flooding—Liam's idea. Couldn't stop the puddles, though. So the whole ship was still very soaked except the rooms.

From how the ship harshly tilted from time to time, Louis kept wondering how the Prince was doing inside the quarters. Hopefully, he hasn't accidentally hurt himself.

Louis couldn't believe that he was thinking of a boy while he was struggling to safely guide a ship. He felt ridiculous. Though, he couldn't seem to find any regret in accepting the boy's presence aboard his ship no matter how annoying he sometimes was.

“Captain! Waves are getting taller!” One of the men yelled out, and he was greeted by a wave hovering them. Before Louis could even respond, a huge wave washed over them. He was showered by the strong pressure of water and it pushed him back to the ground onto something very sharp.

Liam opened his eyes and saw Louis on the ground, pushing himself up. The helm was spinning at a rapid rate, making the ship slowly shift directions. The first mate cursed under his breath and grabbed the helm. He let out a slow grunt when he fought off the helm to keep the ship steady. Liam could feel himself shift, his body tilting to the side but he kept his grip tight.

“You're one of the strongest men on the ship and you fall to one wave?” Liam tried to make the situation a little lighter.

Louis just let out a groan. “Give me a fucking second, Smee.”

At one point, Louis could make out a figure making its way towards him. It was quite dark and the only source of light was the sudden strike of lightning. From one quick flash of lightning, he saw the Prince's worried face with his arm trying to block the rain falling to his face.

It only made Louis even more frustrated. “Harry, what the hell are you doing out here!” He yelled out, struggling to even raise his voice while trying not to lose his balance. “I fucking told you–”

“I wanted to help!” Harry called out and made his way over to Louis to help him on his feet, stumbling with his own.

Louis didn't say anything else as the Prince helped him up, hissing when he felt a searing pain on his leg. He reached down and let out a pained sound when he feels a sharp piece of floorboard puncturing him.

“You're a stubborn little Prince, aren't you?” Louis grunted, his hand wet but he couldn't tell if it was the rain or his own blood.

Harry helped Louis walk and heard him being in pain. “Can you please insult me later? You're injured, and I have to tend to your situation before you get an infection.”

Liam felt worried about his Captain, so he tried turning his head to look at his friend. “You good, mate?”

“I'll live,” there was shakiness to his voice. The wood was pretty big, and it was very painful and probably very dirty as well. It tore through his flesh. It wasn't near to his head or heart so he knew he won't die from it, but it was just painful.

“I need you to come with me, alright? The rain and dirty floors won't be good for you.” Harry said. “I don't think you want to die from a floorboard infection spreading, hm?” He softly teased.

The pirate hesitated. Usually, he did not let anyone tend with his wounds. But what Harry said kind of made him uneasy. Can floorboards really have diseases? Harry was probably just fucking with him. But the pain was barely bearable, even when it was only on his leg. It tore through his pants. Louis ought to punish the crew for not fixing their floor.

And dying from this wound? That's the most absurd thing he has ever heard, he had more serious cuts and injuries before. But somehow, whenever he sees the boy's face at each stroke if lightning, he felt like the boy genuinely cared about his wellbeing. He couldn't e but nod before calling out for another man to help Liam with the helm. Harry took it as an approval to take him back to the Captain's Quarters. It was hard since the man could barely walk without feeling a sudden pain shoot through his body. When they reached the bed, Harry lied him down and started to tear pieces of his own shirt to use later. He went to the small bathroom to wash a cloth clean. It was really dark, so he found it difficult to just reach for things. But from how many times and how long he has been inside the room, he felt like he memorized where all the objects were placed.

Harry came back and kneeled beside the bed, carefully reaching out to fell Louis' leg in the dark. “This is going to hurt a bit; I don't have anything to numb you.” He said. “Grab my hand and guide me to where it is, please?” He asked.

Harry felt Louis' soaked hand and just guided him to the wound. The Prince slowly took the piece of wood out as the man just sucked in a harsh breath. He started to clean up the area and it was more painful that the wound itself. Louis' whole body was relaxed, though. Unusually calm. Harry would've needed a towel between his teeth to bite into when things become unbearable. When he was done cleaning up, Harry wrapped a cloth around his leg. He knew that the actual process was stitches, but they didn't have anything close to a needle or a thread. This would do, for now.

When Harry heard the bed creaking, he was positive that the man was already standing up. “Hey, wait a second. You can't just go back out there.” Harry frowned to himself. “You were just stabbed by a piece of wood!”

“And I also happen to be a Captain and I should not rest while my crew is out there putting effort to keep the ship from sinking.” Louis said, trying to ignore the pain he felt from his leg.

The storm was calming. Not stopping yet but the rain lessened and the waves getting smaller. Harry noticed this when he felt himself be balanced again, not swaying side to side.

Louis was confused, the storm seemed to end almost abruptly. That was very odd, but he was thankful that it was over. It was suspicious though, how did a storm that strong decide to just stop?

The Prince was confused as well, what just happened? The storm was maddening earlier, it couldn't have just stopped all of a sudden.

“Harry, there's a chest under the bed. I want you to grab it. There are bottles inside, give me the green one.” He told him. Harry just nodded and kneeled again before ducking down to reach under the bed. He opened it and revealed many bottles in various sizes.

There was only one green vial so he took it and walked towards Louis to hand it to him. “What does it do?”

“It heals people. The only bottle I have left of it. I can't exactly walk out like this.” He said. Louis thought he could handle it but the wound on his leg would only slow him down. He was a pirate, yes. But being a pirate won't make him immune to pain.

Harry watched the liquid inside the vial shimmer under the light of the now visible moon. “You had it all this time, why didn't you use it before I treated you?”

“Like I said, it's the only one I have left. Didn't want to waste it, but I can't walk like I have a bloody stump to my feet as well.” Louis said before he poured the substance into the wound. He sighed in relief when the pain slowly vanished and he could move his leg again.

“You have a lot of potions,” Harry softly said, wanting to know what each of them does.

Louis just threw the glass out into the window. Not very environment friendly, but Harry did not comment against it. “Think of it as a useless collection, I guess. All of them are stolen from different pirates.” He smirked as if to show off himself being a skilled thief.

Harry smiled and looked at Louis. Both their eyes shone, and one felt utterly entranced by the other. Neither noticed, though. “Impressive. I've never stolen before. Maybe a few glazed tarts in the kitchen, but they were mine anyway. Just taking them earlier than planned.”

The pirate couldn't help but grow fond of him and his silly stories. “Quite interesting, Charming.” He reached around to find a lantern somewhere before he took matches from one of his drawers. Louis lit up the lantern to give them light, and only felt frustrated when seeing the mess on the floor caused by the harsh shaking of the ship.

Harry saw his reaction. “I'll clean it up right away–”

“Leave it until tomorrow. I just want to get some rest.” He told Harry while pushing back his own wet hair. The bed might be soaked since he lied down on it. Now he had no idea where to sleep. Louis took a towel folded on a chest to dry himself off. “Clear out this area though, move the shit to the side. I'll sleep on the floor.” He said.

“You can sleep on the sofa, Captain. I can just wipe it clean for you.” He offered.

Louis closed the chest filled with potions and slid it back under the bed. “It's Louis. And that's fine, you should sleep there.” He brushed him off.

The Prince only frowned. “But Louis, the floor is cold. I'll sleep there instead, just sleep here.” He said before lighting up the other lanterns to give sufficient light inside the chamber.

“I've had colder. I'll survive.” He muttered and started to wipe the ground with a cloth under his boot.

It seemed that Captain Hook was stubborn as ever. Harry couldn't blame him, he was stubborn as well. Louis' words hinted his life in poverty, which only made Harry frown as he moved the things to the side to clear out some space for him.

There was a knock at the door and the Prince decided to answer it for the Captain. He was met by a confused Liam who had a worried look on his face. His red hat was damp from the rain and the rest of his clothes were soaked.

“Captain, I need to speak with you.” He said, voice a little shaky but stern. It made Harry stand at the side to let him through, the boy quieting himself down to let the two men speak.

Louis took his leather jacket off, as well as his wet shirt to change into dry ones, unaware of shy green eyes roaming over his body. “What is it, Mr. Smee?”

The brown haired man only glanced at Harry, unsure if he should let him listen to this. “The storm stopped abruptly for no reason at all.” He stated as if it weren't obvious.

“Could be a coincidence.”

Liam scoffed. “You do not believe in coincidences.” He accused. “What if it was-”

“Don't. It's not possible.” He rolled his eyes and changed his pants, it was the time that Harry finally averted his eyes by discreetly scratching his head. He felt his face heat up, it felt so awful but he couldn't find it in him to start complaining. “Surely, the storm just stopped. That's that. I'm sure it was other forces, but whoever it was, it will never be him.” He told Liam. “You're dismissed. We'll discuss this tomorrow.” He muttered, already turning his back on Liam to lie down on the ground.

Him? Harry questioned himself, who could him be? Another pirate, perhaps? He had no idea, this ship held too many secrets that Harry wished he could find out.

Smee just scrunched his face in confusion. “Why are you sleeping on the floor? You have a sofa–”

“Bloody hell, are you incapable of walking yourself out?” He interrupted, making Liam raise his hands in defeat.

“Sorry, calm down.” He sighed and just left, sparing one last look at Harry as if to apologize to him that he had to witness that.

As Liam left while closing the door behind him, Harry sat down on the sofa. “You didn't have to yell at him, you know.”

Hook only scoffed as if to say Harry couldn't stop him even if he tried. “He knew it was coming.” Liam was the one who brought it up.

“Who was him? The person Liam was referring?”

“You and your questions. Dry yourself off and go to sleep.” Louis muttered out, enough for Harry to hear.

The Prince took a cloth to wipe his face and hair with it. His shirt wasn't that soaked, only slightly damp but he's alright with it. The soft pattering of rain from the outside was so soothing, it relaxed Harry into lying down on the wooden sofa.

He rested his head on his hand that acted as a pillow. “Goodnight, Louis.”

“Yeah.”

No other words were exchanged as both fell asleep to the sound of raindrops and each other's breathing and soft snoring, the only sounds audible in the room.

It did not feel like reality when Harry opened his eyes. He was inside a room that was on fire. He couldn't breathe and was sure that he couldn't speak even when he feels his lips moving. It was odd though, he could feel the heat of the fire and the sudden burns. He could feel it as though he was there, and he felt like he was.

Harry tried his best to scream out for anyone to help him, and suddenly, he saw a figure coming towards him slowly, almost mockingly. Then, a sudden flash of movement came and it felt like the figure yelled the words 'be quiet' before jumping straight into his vision.

The Prince awoke with a gasp and was greeted by worried blue eyes. He was panting and could feel sweat trickle down his forehead.

“What's wrong? You kept mumbling in your sleep.” Louis immediately asked as soon as Harry even opened his eyes.

He didn't know what it meant, the nightmare he just had. But it did not feel good, and he hoped that it didn't have anything to do with his situation in real life. “I-I don't know. I was mumbling?”

Harry noticed how the Captain was kneeled on the ground at the side of his sofa. “Yes, you were mumbling that ridiculous nickname, Snow White, over and over again. Woke me up.” He tried to sound annoyed but Harry could still sense worry in his tone, it made him feel safe and cared of.

Everything just seemed very odd to him, something was definitely wrong. The past few days have been awfully different, and so many things happened in the span of weeks. Harry didn't even know where to begin the list of unfortunate events he went through while being on this ship. So many bizarre things. Now he was mumbling a name in his sleep? He didn't know what it meant. It made him feel uneasy, not aware of what he should do.

“I'm truly sorry for interrupting your sleep. I wasn't aware.” He softly said, breaking their gaze as he looked down at his own hands. “Please, go back to sleep. I'll be okay.”

Harry felt like he knew him, so he assumed that the pirate would deny that he checked up on Harry if he was alright. But Louis just nodded slowly. “Alright.” Was all he said as he stood back up.

There was tension in the air and Harry couldn't exactly tell what it was for. But while he held eye contact with Louis, he could feel himself melting under his gaze. There was a glint in Louis' eyes as well, while he stared down at Harry for a moment. It made the pirate swallow before tearing his eyes off the boy to go back to sleeping on the floor.

Neither fell asleep. Harry was too terrified to sleep now and he kept over thinking about what his dream may have been about. Louis couldn't figure himself out. There was something about Harry that made Louis want to touch him so desperately.

They were both silent, but Louis decided that he should speak. “What did you dream about?” He asked, fingers tangled on his stomach while he lied on his back.

Harry sighed through his nose. “I don't remember much, but I was inside a room that was on fire. Something attacked me.” He simply answered, unable to see the other man's reaction due to the distance between them.

A room that was on fire. Sounds rather unusual, but it was a dream so it would be. “Don't think too much of it, Harry. It was just a nightmare, doesn't mean anything.” He assured him. Knowing the Prince, he would start to question everything.

Harry didn't say anything else. He noticed how Louis' voice was much softer than earlier when Liam passed by. It made his heart swoon. Louis wasn't like the Princes Harry would read about, but he seemed to be so much better. It didn't matter to him that Louis was a pirate or if he had a stubborn personality. Harry knew that Louis had a soft side that isn't shown very often.

He always knew that he was attracted to men more. Maybe it was because he looked at Princes in storybooks more than actual Princesses. He'd sometimes feel upset when there would only be one drawing of a Prince, since the whole book would revolve around the Princess only. It never felt weird to him. It's because he was raised by accepting and loving parents. Even if Harry did not explicitly tell them about his sexuality, he knew that he would be accepted nevertheless. Not Queen Eva, though. She seemed very persistent in betrothing him to some random Princess.

Harry didn't even know what time it was when there was another knock on the door. Almost immediately, Louis went to answer open it. Harry wondered to himself how long Louis was awake or if he even went to sleep at all.

When Louis opened the door, he rubbed his eyes lazily. “It's way too early for your sermons, Smee. I need sleep.” He complained.

Liam only ignored his comment and had a stern look on his face. “We're at the cove, Captain. We stop by at your command if we have to fix the ship in a short notice.” He said and gestured towards the poles and the net used to climb to the highest point of the ship, it was torn apart. “I think we would need a moment before we go on our way to the treasure.”

Harry was very interested on what the cove may look like. Obviously, he has never seen one so it would be very nice if he went to see where they were going. He didn't want to interrupt them talking though, so he just sat up on the sofa and tried not to eavesdrop.

Louis wasn't wearing his leather jacket since it was soaked, and only had a shirt on. Harry was used to seeing him in all black. He hesitated, not wanting to waste any more time to get to the treasure, but also not wanting to sink in the middle of the sea in case they forgot to fix something. “Who did we lose?” He asked, voice quiet and prepared for whatever information he may receive.

“Nick, Ben and Clarence, sir.” Liam sounded solemn as he bowed his head as if to express his grief.

Captain Hook cursed under his breath, raising his to lean it against the door. They lost their Boatswain and their best Lookout. Louis can see where the problem was, and they really needed to stop even for a few hours to fix the ship and decide who will take Ben and Clarence's places. Louis couldn't be happier that Nick was finally gone and hat he didn't have to throw him out. That'd be too much work.

As if Louis couldn't tell, Harry was eavesdropping onto their conversation. Well, not exactly. He can't help but hear what they were saying, it's not his fault. Upon hearing that Nick died, it made the Prince frown. Hopefully it was not karma. Though, it made him feel guilty that it never bothered him. The fact that he was gone, make him feel relieved. Yet, uncomfortable because his mind seemed different. Was it wrong to feel okay with your assaulter being dead? It made Harry question himself.

“Fine, but make sure you will all be done by noon. We'll have a round at the cove to make sure it's empty. I do not want to be robbed.” He muttered.

Liam just nodded and walked off, telling everyone what they should do. Louis sighed, reaching for his boots that are still soaking wet. “Bloody hell, this is great.” He sarcastically remarked. “Everything is fucking wet. That storm really fucked everything up. First, the ship. Now, my bloody clothes.” He exasperatingly said.

Harry wanted to offer his shoes, but they were too big for Louis. He wouldn't be able to walk comfortably. “Where are we going?” He asked, as if he never eavesdropped.

Louis watched as the Prince decided to start cleaning the mess on the floor and neatly putting the objects back on the shelves they were in before. “The cove. It's like a big pond, I'm sure you've seen a pond before.”

“Yes, I've seen one before.” His lack of experience only made him feel embarrassed.

“You're coming with me, later. We'll both scope the area and look for anyone who's here.” Louis told him as he hung his jacket on a loose pipe, his words surprising Harry. “I doubt it, though. No one stays at coves. Last time we were here, it was empty. But it's better if we make sure.”

“You want me to come with you?”

“Yeah, is there a problem with that?”

“No, of course not. It's just that.. you trust me?”

Louis turned to face him, crossing his arms. “Are you coming or not? You're not very good at fencing, so I won't be giving you a sword.” He said, making Harry look down. “But you mentioned that you are better with a bow and arrow, so I'm giving you back yours. If you even try anything-”

“I won't!” Harry immediately said, feeling a lot more relieved to even hear that he'll be getting back his prized possession, the one thing he has of Niall. “I promise.”

Usually, Louis would lecture people about interrupting him whenever he talked. But from seeing the excitement on the boy's face, he just felt relaxed and even smiled. “Calm down, Charming. Don't expect this from me every day.” He reminded him and took his sword, sliding it in place in his belt. “Come on, I'll show you the weaponry.”

Harry followed behind him when they left the room. His eyes widened at the beautiful scenery in front of the ship. The cove, it was breathtaking. Harry has never seen the ocean look like a mixture of blue skies and green trees. It was stunning, and Harry couldn't even believe his eyes were seeing reality, and not a mere painting hung on the walls of his room.

“It's beautiful.” Harry whispered, stopping in his tracks to just look at the cove.

Louis walked next to him to look at what he was watching. He has seen the cove countless of times already, and saw even more just like it. Though, he never really took the time to appreciate how magnificent it looked until he saw the admiration on Harry's face. It was unexplainable, the fact that Louis was the first to show him this. It made him want to show him more scenery he has seen, just to watch the Prince's priceless reaction again and again.

Harry turned to Louis with a bright smile on his face, telling him to lead the way. The pirate just nodded and turned around to start walking, letting out a breath he didn't notice he held. They both reached the room full of weapons, with Louis telling Harry to be careful since he might set something off. Louis reached for the metal bow and the arrows that came with it. He held it out for Harry to take, but the boy only stared at it.

Harry looked at Louis to see if he was sure, but the pirate just sighed. “Are you going to take it or not?”

His words made Harry reach for the bow and the weight of it felt good in his hands. The long bag that held the arrows were slung over Harry's shoulder. It felt great, to finally have something to protect him. Though, he did not want to hurt anyone, he also did not want to take any chances of himself getting hurt. This is only for self-defense. If he's ever met with anyone, he'll probably just aim for the arms and legs to stun them.

“Ready?” Louis asked, the shirt he was wearing only exposed some of his arm tattoos.

Harry nodded, a little hesitant but there was still a hint of determination in his body.

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you'd like :)  
> help me improve my writing <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: zayn got introduced as liam's love interest that died during a trip to an unknown place while they were still a navy crew. although harry was starting to grow questionable feelings for louis, he starts to question how the nickname 'snow white' came to louis' mind. a terrible storm hits the ocean and during that, louis gets injured. harry comes after him even after the captain told him to just stay in the room. louis uses a potion to heal himself and the storm stopped abruptly. they arrive near the cove the next day, where louis asked harry to come with him on the small island to look for something.

The ship went through the entrance of the cove and stopped a little too far from the coastline. Seems to Harry, they have to use a smaller boat to get there. He stood corrected when a few men started to hang a boat at the edge of the ship with strong ropes.

Harry still had no idea who Liam was referring to when he and Louis had a talk this morning. Could it be another rival pirate? It was his best guess, but he wasn’t sure at all. The storm stopped almost all of a sudden, it was hard to believe that it was just part of its flow. Louis, of course, dodged his question about it but when does he not?

The nightmare from last night was just awful. Harry probably won’t sleep anytime soon after going through that. The fact that Louis cared enough about him to check if he was alright, it was more than enough for Harry. Spare his growing feelings, as much as Harry was hesitant on accepting how he felt, he was still inexperienced and had no idea how to handle himself around the handsome pirate.

“Harry, come on. We have to be quick.” Louis calmly said, climbing over to the smaller boat and took a seat. “Smee, take charge of the ship while we’re away.”

Harry snapped out of his thoughts when Louis tugged on his sleeve as if telling him to climb over. His face flushed when the Captain helped him over by taking a hold of his hips and guiding him over the gap between the small boat and the magnificent ship.

“Are you sure only two of you will go? You can take someone with you.” Liam suggested as the Captain commanded his crew to start lowering the boat. He seemed more concerned of Harry rather than his actual best friend. Louis can definitely handle himself, regardless of the fact that he only has one hand.

Still, Liam knew that he needed everyone in the crew to help fix the ship’s issues. It would be really convenient if Harry would be the one to go with Louis. Liam trusted Harry anyway, he had a feeling that the boy wouldn’t want to upset the Captain.

Louis just rolled his eyes at his protectiveness. “Stop worrying, Mr. Smee. The boy is in good hands.”

“Was that supposed to be funny?”

Louis let out a loud laugh as well as the other men in the crew who heard. Harry smiled at the unintentional joke, watching the man in front of him. Hook seemed to be in a good mood. “We’ll be back soon, alright? Both of us.” He waved him off with his only hand. “Mister Styles here is quite skilled with his arrows, isn’t that right?”

It was bumpy, when they were being lowered down so his voice was shaky when it came out. “Yes, of course.” He pulled his shoulders tight from the cold, smiling softly and just waited until the boat hit the water. Harry didn’t want to mess up, he wanted to prove to Louis that he can be good at something other than cooking and annoying the hell out of him.

Harry laid his eyes on Louis, he was absolutely glowing and it made the boy curious. He seemed very happy today. The Prince looked up at the Captain’s first mate, giving him a look as if to ask what was going on with Louis. Liam only grinned and offered him a shrug.

“We’ll be back shortly. Attack anyone who comes near the boat with no hesitation, alright? Keep a lookout. I’ll signal you before we come near the ship.” Louis looked up to keep his eyes on Liam.

Harry rowed the boat for them. Surprisingly, he didn’t struggle even though he was just learning but he used his common sense and knowledge about motion to know how to row. It felt easy so far. The thought of being alone at a beautiful cove with Louis sent him chills, hopefully they really were alone.

“Are you not going to question why I only asked for you and not anyone else? Or should I be worried?” Louis stared at his hook, probably to look at his own reflection. Narcissist.

Harry gently laughed, dimples popping from the sides of his face. “Uh, my guess is to test my abilities?”

Louis thought about it for a moment. “Yes, but also to show that I trust you, dear Charming.” He mocked. “You risked your life for me yesterday. Even though I practically solved things at the end with a potion,” he added and just made Harry smile while he rowed the boat. “Still, you disobeyed me for tolerable reasons.”

Louis has never had anyone in his crew that disobeyed him. No one ever dared to piss him off on purpose. But Harry, he was the first person who equaled his own stubbornness. The Prince was so damn stubborn but still managed to maintain his kindness. That is something Louis knew he would never see in anyone else.

Harry felt a sudden rush of pride when he learned that the man trusted him, his entire face just lit up. He really did not want to fail him at all. “I just... I didn’t want to be hiding while all of you were risking your lives trying to keep the ship sailing.” Harry explained. “I wanted to help.”

Louis just nodded at his words and turned away to stare off into the cove. It was very beautiful, and he only got to appreciate it now. All thanks to the boy in front of him.

He’s traveled to so many places that he couldn’t count them all on his fingers and toes. Louis always wanted to travel freely and not care about what others would think, which seemed very ironic to say. Either way, he loved an adventure, no matter how hard or far away it may be.

When they reached the coastline, Louis watched as the boy carefully stepped into the sand. “It’s sand, you know? Not quicksand, if that’s why you’re walking so slowly.” He pointed out.

A nervous chuckle came from his pretty lips. “Sorry.” He has never stepped into sand before. He’s seen some though, heaps of it for indoor plants. But not at a cove, and certainly not at the lightest shade of brown. Harry didn’t mention it though, but he wouldn’t be surprised if the pirate caught on already. Harry’s not exactly on the adventurous side of Princes, as much as he wanted to be.

“We’ll go through there.” Hook pointed to the forest. “Stay close, alright?” Louis started to walk, not waiting for Harry to even speak. He knew that the boy would follow behind. “And a big reminder, stay calm while we’re in this forest, alright?”

“Why?” Harry chuckled, it sounded silly to him. Why wouldn’t he stay calm?

“Just don’t panic or whatever.” Louis drew his sword as they walked through the forest. “My guess is that you’ve never been to a forest before?”

“It’s nice that you assume that I really never leave my house.” Harry smiled, pushing back a loose branch so it would get out of his way.

“House, kind of odd to call a huge palace.”

This time, Harry rolled his eyes with a small grin. “It’s my home. Was. And I’ve been to forests before, it’s where I go to leave my stepmum’s radar. None of her knights had daily rounds in the forests, just roads.” He held onto his bow and arrows, watching the pirate push back hanging stems of plants to clear the path for both of them. “I’m a very good tracker, just so you know.”

Louis hummed, not looking back to face the boy. “A skilled archer and a good tracker. How many more abilities are you hiding from me?”

“Not much. I’m very open, you know?” Harry muttered.

“You’ve asked me countless of questions, I don’t recall asking you one.” The pirate said as they walked.

Prince Harry’s face reddened. Is he really offering to get to know him better? “Well, I do recall you interrogating me the first day I got here.”

He wouldn’t exactly call it an interrogation. Louis knew what he had to know based off a poster.

“You ran away from your stepmother and now she wants you dead, did you really think it wouldn’t raise any questions?” The sarcasm in his tone was very hard to miss.

Instead of being all defensive about it, Harry only let out an anxious chuckle. “I suppose you have a point.”

He was still terrified of his stepmother. Harry even used to be scared of her before this whole mess began. The thought that she could just appear out of nowhere didn’t settle well with him. He has read about witches before, recalling Niall saying that the Queen was one. It’s said that a witch can transport herself to anywhere. Suspiciously enough, he has never heard of her in a while. Maybe it’s because he’s not in land. But has oceans separated witches from their hatred before? Harry didn’t think so.

“Do you have any other siblings your stepmother can torment?” He asked, the dirt crunching under his boot.

Now that Harry thought about it, he used to wish that he could have a younger brother or sister. But due to his current situation, he thanked the heavens that he never did. “No, actually. I’m an only child. My mother had the difficulty on carrying a baby, so I was practically their miracle child. They never bothered trying again.” That was because for Harry’s mother, he was more than enough.

Although, if it weren’t for his mother’s inhabitable uterus, Harry would’ve had an older sibling. If he ever did have a sibling, Harry never would’ve worried about being a King. Not to say he was glad about his mother’s miscarriage, he definitely wasn’t. But if it meant that none of his siblings would go through what he’s currently dealing with, that’s the silver lining.

From his father’s stories, Harry gave light in his mother’s life. Queen Anne grew hopeless in having a child, shameful that she could never give her husband an heir. Heirs were a requirement almost immediately after a wedding. They were married at twenty-four and had Harry five years later. One miscarriage made Queen Anne doubt herself, so she found herself an incredibly lucky lady when she held Harry in her arms for the first time.

“What about you? Do you have siblings?”

Louis knew that the question will come right back at him, so he just snorted. “I’m asking the questions here, Charming.”

The Prince smiled. “Right, okay. I didn’t think you cared enough about my life.”

Hook let out a scoff. “I don’t. Just passing time.”

“Right.” Harry nodded with a permanent grin on his face. Louis was so stubborn, yet Harry was intrigued.

Louis bit his lip, hesitating for a bit to open up to Harry. The boy has proven himself to Louis that he could be trusted countless of times, so Louis had no idea what was holding him back. Maybe it was because of the way he felt about Harry, or maybe it really was in his nature to be closed off about certain things. The pirate has never been more unsure about something in his entire life.

He kept weighing the people he has been with to Harry. Louis kept looking for things that are different and much to his surprise, everything was. Is that why he felt so attracted to Harry? Because he was unlike anyone he’s ever been with? And by ‘been with’ he meant slept with. Louis doesn’t even remember the last time he went on a proper date and now he’s thinking about a boy in a way he never thought of at all?

He let out a soft breath. “I had four siblings. All of them were girls.” He casually said. “Stubborn brats, I must say. Taught them everything they knew.” He smirked as he looked back at the curly headed boy.

The Prince took note of the subtle past tense he used, he feared that his assumptions may be right. “I’m sure they’re lovely.” He kindly said.

“Yeah? Well, they’re not exactly here anymore.” Louis spoke as if it never bothered him, but he still felt an ache in his chest. Those girls were his world, Louis would’ve given them anything if he could.

The words made Harry frown. He was a very sensitive person so upon hearing that, he felt upset. “I’m sorry.” He said after a short moment.

“It’s fine. It’s been a long time.”

“What’s it like? Having siblings?” He asked. Their situation wouldn’t really compare. If Harry ever did have sisters or brothers, they would live a lavish life inside a castle.

Harry never experienced poverty, or being hungry, wearing scraps, stealing or not knowing when will be the next opportunity to eat. Louis didn’t blame him for his privileges, the boy was born and raised Royal just as Louis was born and raised poor. Harry never needed to want anything because everything was there. If Louis’ sisters were still alive, he would’ve gotten them houses and a good life from all the treasure he gathered. Now, he has no one to spend these treasures on but himself and his crew. A lonely life, one could say, but Louis doesn’t know what else to do.

“It’s always loud inside the house and you never really got any privacy.” Louis let out a chuckle. He doesn’t really know why he’s sharing these things with Harry, but he actually felt comfortable with it. The boy was trustworthy for Louis. “I was still a child when I became an only child.” Louis started as the fluttering of wings from birds high above filled their ears. “My parents and I... we were the only ones in my family who survived the wolf attack, if you still remember that story.”

How could Harry forget? “I’m so sorry to hear that, Louis. I really admire how strong you are through all this, I never would’ve gotten through it.”

The pirate felt like he has never been complimented that way before, so he felt very flattered. He was glad that Harry couldn’t see his face since a smile plastered on it. “Sure you can, Harry.”

They proceeded to talk whilst walking through the forest, with Louis asking simple questions about his classy way of living. “What’s the food like in your castle?”

It wasn’t exactly his castle, he just happened to live there. “Exquisite, though they’re mostly sweet desserts or meat. I eat neither, so I stuck with the garden I grew. Any type of vegetable or fruit. It’s what the people who work there offer me.” Harry didn’t like calling them servants, seemed downgrading. Just because they work for the Royal Family, doesn’t mean they’re any less people.

“Sounds a bit restricting. Meat is great.”

There was a grimace on Harry’s face. “I don’t like thinking about eating an animal.” He said and watched the man hesitate between two paths before going left. “Where are we going, anyway?”

Louis didn’t answer him. He hid something back here when they first got the map. Not even Liam knew, that’s why he only brought Harry. Only to have someone fight alongside him and be able to keep a secret as well. Liam is his best friend but sometimes he needed to protect him from certain things he never needed to know.

Going to Harry’s mind, he found it unusual to see the Captain out of his long leather jacket. He seemed to be distracted by the tattoos on his arms, wanting to know the story of each one. Louis said they were drunken mistakes, but maybe some of them were not. Harry took a slight of interest within tattoos, maybe he should get one someday.

Or maybe not, he wouldn’t look good in anything. And a tattoo of what? Harry viewed himself as barely creative, even after the countless compliments from different people upon seeing his drawings or portraits. He never knew how to take a compliment, mostly he would just tightly smile and nod before looking back at the drawing for flaws to contradict the compliment he just received.

Come to think of it, most of his fights before were only against his own conscience. Now it’s a Queen with dark magic, and obviously he wouldn’t win.

After a long walk, Harry spotted a small cave and just followed Louis towards it. They both stopped in front of the entrance as Louis turned to look at the Prince for reassurance.

“What... what are we doing here?” He questioned, staring off into the darkness within the cave. “Are you retrieving something?”

“Yes, I am. I need to find this chest I buried in there. You’re going to help me.” He said and just walked straight into the darkness. Harry hesitated to go inside, but when he heard a rough scratching noise, he saw Louis lighting up a torch like a match against the walls of the cave. “Here, you take this, I need to hold my sword.” He gave Harry the torch and started to walk, motioning in front of him as if to tell Harry to follow him.

The Prince just gulped and gripped his bow as he started to walk, following right behind the man. “What are we looking for again?” He was cautious, not wanting to step on any random thing. There could be traps within the cave, but the pirate moved freely to his own will. Harry wasn’t sure if this was the safest place for both of them to be in.

Louis let out a sigh. “Harry, be patient. And relax, no one is in here. If there was, they wouldn’t wait for attacking us.”

His words were barely reassuring. For most of Harry’s life, this is the period wherein he has learned a lot and been through a lot. Honestly, he felt very stupid since he barely knew how to act during the events that happened in the past month.

Harry stayed quiet while he walked beside him, the black dirt under him was crunching and the sound of it echoed through the cave. It’s not surprising that Harry has never been to a cave before, but he was starting to get the hang of it. Harry wasn’t quite used to this, but since he doesn’t live in the palace anymore, he has to learn how to handle situations like these.

Considering his situation; being a wanted Prince who may have been the reason of his father’s death and his best friend being taken by the most powerful wizard, it’s quite surprising to Louis how Harry still managed to compose himself. The pirate always viewed Princes as these weaklings who cannot handle themselves without guards surrounding them. Harry seemed to know how to act appropriately, unlike the hysterical Royals that Louis came across before. This Prince was definitely full of surprises.

Louis coughed. He doesn’t remember the place being very dusty, but maybe it’s really just the cave. They did leave it for almost half a year. “We’re not much further, I have something buried here.” He said. “Last time, I fought a beast to enter this cave.” He muttered, remembering how a small scar formed right on his rib area.

Belle came into Harry’s thoughts at the mention of a beast. They’ve been apart for so many months now, he can’t imagine how it may be for her. He shivered at the thought of her not being alive, but still tried to stay determined. Though, walking through this cave made him feel hopeless, he had no idea why.

“What is this cave?” Harry’s breath was starting to get labored. It was like he was getting weaker, his grip around the torch was loosening. Harry felt like his head was spinning, he has never felt this way before.

Louis turned around and widened his eyes, dropping the sword to catch the boy’s arm to stop him from falling. “Harry, no!”

It was too late, Harry dropped the torch and a fire dragged as a straight line, lighting up the cave and leading them the way. This never happened to Louis before. The last time he went here, he was with Liam and they stayed clear and of course, never thought of lighting the place on fire. The flame created a symbol on the cave’s walls, it seemed like it was really made by someone or a group of people. It’s very structured, like the whole cave was put into thought.

Louis was at awe of the sight, though he did not understand the symbols. They still have a long way to go, but looking at the boy, he probably won’t last long.

Harry’s vision was blurring. “What... what’s happening to me?” He asked Louis as the pirate picked up his sword and slid it into his belt. Harry’s arm was slung around Louis’ neck to help him up. The pirate always ignored people’s warnings, Harry was the best example that he shouldn’t.

“I’ve got to get you out of here, this was a bad idea for you.” Louis murmured.

The Prince slowly shook his head. “You were supposed to get something here. I can’t just stop you.” Harry let out a cough, feeling his own heart start to slow down.

“Well, I’m not just going to let you die here.” Louis rolled his eyes and started to walk in a fast pace. The whole cave was lit because of the fire Harry started, but it didn’t seem to damage anything. Maybe it was supposed to be lit that way, Louis doesn’t know.

“I... I could die here?” He softly asked. “Why aren’t you-?”

“Save your breath, Harry. You’re losing power.”

Those words confused Harry, but he didn’t try to say anything else. He wasn’t very sure if Louis was being serious, but he still did as he said. But why wasn’t Louis affected in any way? He was still normal, what makes Harry the odd one out? It wasn’t like he wanted Louis to be like this as well, but it made him curious why he was the only one.

Louis didn’t think it was possible, looking down at the boy and how his lips slowly turned purple as if he was suffocating. Harry possessed something that was very rare nowadays, or maybe Louis just has never seen someone like this before. He knew that there was something about Harry that drew him in, he craved that feeling every single day now. As much as he needed the feeling, he fears it.

They made it out of the cave and Harry dropped to his knees, catching his breath and regaining the soft glow on his face. Beads of sweat formed above his brow because of being so close to fire. Louis sighed, looking back at the cave and seeing the faint light from deep inside it.

As if nothing happened, Harry was back to his feet and wiping his eyes. “What happened to me?”

The type of dizzy he felt was suffocating and draining, it almost felt like he was slowly slipping away. Harry still felt very weak, but at least he could stand normally now. His mind was still blank, as if he was in shock. It was odd,

The pirate drew his sword out again, just wanting to hear it being taken out of its place. The sound was satisfying, alright? “The cave drains any light magic, Harry.” He sighed, staring at the boy who was still catching his breath.

“No, no. That’s not possible. I don’t have any magic.” He shook his head, brushing off the dirt on his clothes.

Light magic these days are very rare, not many people possess it. If someone did, they could be in great danger to people who have dark magic. To dark magic, light magic was a threat. What if...

Louis looked at him; it was like he knew what he was thinking. “You don’t think that is the reason why the Queen wants me dead?” Harry asked, a little frightened. “This can’t be possible, I don’t have any relatives with relations to light magic.” He claimed.

The pirate frowned. “The cave doesn’t lie. It felt your magic and drained it. This cave feeds off purity and disregards darkness. It’s full of it anyway.” He explained. “You can wield magic, Charming. Doesn’t really surprise me.”

Harry’s eyes were wide, still quite shocked. He always believed that he wasn’t a bearer of magic since no one on his family was. “It doesn’t surprise you? What’s that supposed to mean?” He had an unamused expression on his face.

Louis crossed his arms. “I thought people would be delighted to find out that they have pure magic inside them?”

The Prince was actually terrified. Having this kind of magic, the magic that could eliminate darkness, is terrifying. It’s difficult to even process it. “If this really is why my stepmother is after me, why didn’t she just kill me while I hadn’t found out?”

Hook did not have the right answer for him because it made him wonder as well. “We have to go back to the ship.”

“But... the chest you buried-”

He brushed him off. “It’ll be for another time. I’m not leaving you alone outside of the cave.” He told him and started to walk back, not letting Harry change his mind.

Harry felt a little guilty. The main reason Louis even let the ship stop by is because he had to retrieve something inside a cave that is probably trying to kill Harry, he can’t just let Louis not be able to do what he needs to do just because Harry couldn’t come alone with him. Though, he knew that once Louis decided on something, he never changes his mind.

As they walked, the Prince started to feel uneasy while clutching to his bow. He let out a gasp when his vision whitened, making him weak to the knees. Louis turned to him as soon as he heard a gasp. “Harry? What’s wrong?” He asked, a little worried.

“Something’s not right.” He shook his head, sight getting clearer. Harry immediately crouched down, feeling the dirt under his hand and between his fingers. Warmth. “Someone walked through here not too long ago, went off track there.” He said, turning around. “See those creases? This person was dragging something along behind them.” He quietly said, feeling his tracking skills kick in. Usually, he tracked lost animals that are in need of a home or a good habitat, not a person who’s possibly dragging a body somewhere.

“We can’t get involved in whatever this is, Harry. We need to go back.” Louis sternly.

The boy was worried. “What if someone was badly hurt? We have to help them-”

“It’s none of our business. We need to go back-”

An ear deafening noise erupted and it was on a really high pitch that it made both of them cover their ears and wince. Harry was whimpering as he slowly went down to the ground with his eyes shut, the sound growing louder by the second and it was causing a great pain to his head. This went on for who knows how long until it faded and Harry weakly got up.

When he looked around, his blood ran cold as the other man wasn’t there. “Louis? Louis! Where are you?!” He yelled out and frantically kept turning to see if he gone far. Harry ran through the woods, barely catching his breath. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he ran and looked for the pirate while yelling his name. He was nowhere to be found.

It was pathetic but he could feel his heart burn at the thought of the pirate being captured, and this was in his mind. He started to panic, the trees in the forest felt like closing in on him. From the running, he tripped on a long tree root and fell in front of a dark and sticky substance with flies over them, his eyes widened as he let out a shriek and immediately backed away, but it was too late. Harry recognized those plants in his books, they’re toxins that make people hallucinate and he did not like that. The Prince got up and started to run again, his grip on his bow was tight.

When he turned his head, he felt so dizzy again. Maybe not as worse as the one in the cave, but still made him light headed. The trees grew dark and had menacing looks on their shaped faces, it terrified Harry and made him fall to the ground again. He doesn’t know how many times he fell to the dirt today, but he can tell that it was never a good thing whenever he did. He kept running, but it felt as though the trees were trapping him inside the forest and he almost couldn’t breathe. He backed away from the trees that seemed to have branches as hands and holes as eyes with red light inside, a sinister smile right below. He didn’t know where else to run because there were trees everywhere he turned. It wasn’t until he felt a branch hit him in the head and everything faded into black.

***

“-wake up, please.” Harry could barely hear someone, and those were the only words he could make out. “Please, come on.” It sounded like desperation, and the voice was so familiar that it was etched on Harry’s head.

The Prince slowly opened his eyes and saw the night sky filled with no stars. To his right, he saw a concerned Louis who immediately went to his side as soon as his eyes opened. “Hey,” the man gently said, worry was written all over his face.

Harry sat up and winced as he reached up to touch the back of his head. “Did you say something?” He muttered while looking around and seeing that they were at the coastline outside of the forest, but probably at another side since he couldn’t see any silhouette of a ship at the ocean.

Prince Harry didn’t catch a glimpse of the man’s face heating up. “No, I was trying to wake you up.”

The boy hissed in pain when he pressed too hard on his head. He knew that something hit him there, and it hurt so badly. “W-where did you go? Did someone take you?” He asked immediately.

Louis just shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about that.” He said. “Just keep warm, yeah? We go back to the ship when you’re ready.” He told the Prince, standing back up to poke a stick into the fire he made.

“Are you okay?” Harry stared back at Louis who fought of a small smile to appear on his face.

“No need to be concern, Charming. I haven’t lost my other hand.”

It was hard not to ask about where he went after that high pitched noise, but maybe he’ll tell him about it when they get to the ship. “What happened to me?”

“From what it looked like, you panicked.” Louis motioned for him to scoot closer to the fire to keep warm. “I told you not to panic.”

He bit his lip. “I thought you were joking.”

“This forest loves it when it causes fear into the people who enter. Makes your hallucination even worse. You inhaled some Harlequins. I’m sure you’ve read about them before. The flowers that is dead in daylight-”

“But turn into a beautifully bloomed batch at night. Yes, I know.” He quietly said. “Trickster flowers.”

It was quiet for a moment and the two of them just kept warm. The fire warmed their bodies. Harry’s head was still hurting and he couldn’t forget about the things he saw during his hallucination. Or what he thought he saw. “How did you find me?” He asked Louis, putting his palms out to warm them with the fire.

Louis let out a breath, the soft air made the fire dance. “I found you in the center of the forest an hour ago, surrounded by the animals here. Not the monstrous ones, quite the opposite.” He chuckled. “There were deers, birds, rabbits and everything else. It was a confusing sight but they seemed to be protecting you.” He told Harry, who had a shocked look on his face. “The alpha deer almost attacked me. I never knew that there were such animals in this cove. Those animals shouldn’t be this isolated from vast lands no matter how big the cove is.”

Harry’s days were only getting even odder by the minute. “Animals were surrounding me while I was bleeding through my head in the middle of a forest?” He can’t say that the thought is even worse than saying it out loud.

“Don’t get your mind too wrapped up around it, Charming.”

“Why can’t you tell me where you went? I looked everywhere for you before the incident.”

The pirate huffed. “I told you, it’s nothing.”

Harry blinked at him. “If it’s nothing, you can tell me.”

The Prince knew that he was somehow getting under Louis’ skin yet again when the pirate ran his fingers through his own hair in frustration. “Drop it, alright? Just tell me that you’re fine now so we can leave.”

“I’m not leaving this cove if you’re not telling me what happened. Look, I deserve to know if it involves me!” He stood up for himself to make his point. Louis sometimes thought that he could push Harry around just because he barely experienced things, but he can’t treat him like this and keep secrets from him all while it involves him. He knew it was about him, as narcissistic as that sounded. Louis would’ve told him by now if it didn’t.

Louis scoffed. “Fine, I’m leaving without you.” He started walking away from him, and it annoyed Harry. For the first time, he was done with Louis’ bullshit. “This is your fault anyway, if you hadn’t ran off-”

“What are you so afraid of?” Harry asked as he stood up from the floor. His question made Louis stop dead on his tracks and turn to face him.

Harry looked angry, it surprised the other man. This forest does bring out the worst in people. Louis was so used to the smiley Prince and not this mad one. Louis wasn’t sure if he was amused or angry as well.

Yet, Louis let out a laugh, clutching his stomach as if the whole situation was funny. “See, that’s where you’re mistaken, Mister Styles.” He held his arms out in the open. “I’m not afraid of anything.” Louis had a smirk on his face.

Prince Harry tried his hardest to bite his tongue back and prevent himself from speaking, but the anger was bubbling up inside him that he could not control it. There was something happening to him, he didn’t want to think it was the light magic inside him. “You’re afraid of being anything else other than a pirate. Why?”

Captain Hook grew quiet. The way Harry answered for him made it seem as if the boy knew Louis better than he did. How could he say that? Louis opened up to him this morning and told him about his sisters. He never talked to anyone about them, not even to Liam. He knows, of course, but Louis never liked talking about his personal life. But with Harry? Things felt easy, Louis had no idea why. Right now, he looked back at the boy who had a flame in his eyes and he didn’t know how to answer.

They looked at each other, and Harry could see how hard it was for him to break his own walls down. He wondered what ever made him this way or if he was always like this. It seemed like he hasn’t always been this way, Harry can recall him talking about his and Liam’s childhood.

“This is the life I’ve always known, alright? I don’t know, Harry.” Louis told him, voice sharp. “I live in reality and I do everything it takes to survive. Survival doesn’t exactly require telling everyone I meet about my past so they could use it against me.” He finished.

A frown formed on Harry’s lips, not really understanding and felt confused about the whole thing. “What makes me any different?”

“I don’t know! Fuck, I don’t know! You can’t just ask me these things-”

The Prince stepped forward. “Louis, I’m not a stranger. By now, I don’t think I am. Please, tell me what happened. I know that it had something to do with me.” He pleaded.

There really was something that held Louis back and it almost drove Harry mad. Maybe it was the forest or maybe it’s just the way he feels about this. He feared that the Queen may be involved, or anything else that is somehow associated with Harry. Or maybe the hypothetical person who Harry tracked earlier.

“I told you, you don’t need to know.” Louis stood his ground.

Harry walked towards him. “Look me in the eye and tell me I don’t have to worry.” Their bodies were close and Harry’s green eyes fell into his blue ones. Louis was sure that the reason why there were no stars tonight was because each one was in his eyes.

The pirate crossed his arms and maintained their eye contact. “You have nothing to worry about.” He gently said, the tone calmed Harry down and made him close his eyes.

The boy just slowly nodded, looking away and whispered an ‘okay’.

“Good, we have to go back. Smee’s probably pissed off.” He turned around and let out a breath that he held in.

Harry just sighed and followed him to the boat. He was calm now, not knowing what came over him to have that much confidence to do that.

When they got to the coastline where the small boat was. The boy watched Louis create a light and wave it while facing the ship. It was probably the signal so Harry pushed the boat into the ocean and climbed inside. It was silent the whole journey back as Harry rowed them to the ship. One of the crewmen threw two ends of the rope that they had to hook into the ship to be able to be hoisted up again. He felt lucky to know how to tie knots.

When they were back up, they were greeted by Liam’s worried face. “Where the hell have you two been? You’ve been out the whole day!” He frantically said.

Louis brushed him off and proceeded to his quarters without another word. Harry swallowed nervously and faced Liam’s questioning look.

“Harry, what happened?”

He hesitated. “He’s okay, don’t worry. I kind of got lost and it annoyed him.” He chuckled nervously, half-lying.

Liam seemed to have bought it and nodded. “Alright. There’s food over there if you’re hungry.” He pointed and pat the boy’s shoulder, making him smile a bit before walking towards the table. He felt like everyone was watching him and it made the hairs on his arms stand up. Liam was directing everyone to their places and they were sailing again. Seemed like they finished fixing the ship earlier than imagined. Harry put some fried fishes into a plate and some vegetables in another for himself and walked to the Captain’s quarters.

Now that he was out of the forest, he was back to normal. Well, he hoped he was. This cove was much less lovely as it appeared to be. With all its animals and poisonous plants, it felt awful. From the outside though, it looked very beautiful. He remembered what he said before entering the cove, now he felt like he wanted to regret it all.

Harry entered the room and saw Louis standing in front of the window with his arms behind his back. He was wearing the black leather jacket again, probably dried off. He set the plates on the table and wrapped his arms around himself from the cold temperature of the room.

He had no idea how to break the silence but decided to trust his gut. “The amount of times I’ve apologized to you is barely countable, ‘sorry’ probably lost its meaning.” He softly said. “I’m so sorry if I went too far again-”

“Don’t bother, it was the forest talking.” Louis interrupted him, turning to look at him.

Harry was surprised that Louis was taking it so well, he didn’t seem to be bothered by it. He smiled at him. “Well, alright then. I brought food for you. We haven’t eaten all day.” He reminded him.

The odd thing was that Louis just looked at the food and shook his head. “Not hungry.” He told Harry.

“But.. we hadn’t eaten all day, are you-”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Harry eyed him for a moment. “What’s gotten into you?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Is it about what I said back on land?” He asked, a bit worried that it may be.

The look on Louis’ face only confirmed that it was. It made the boy feel guilty. What if it wasn’t the forest talking? What if Harry really said those things to spite Louis? He felt awful, not really wanting Louis to hate him because of what he said. “Y-you can talk to me, yeah?” Harry told him, voice quiet and laced with guilt.

Louis noticed this and only sighed. He decided that maybe he should let his walls down even just one brick at a time. “It’s not your fault. I’m just.. uneasy at the thought that maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t like being nice to anyone.” Louis said with a sad chuckle. “Or maybe I’m just incapable of doing so.”

“That mustn’t be true. Anyone can be good,” Harry reassured him. “Some just get lost in the way.”

“So.. you don’t think I’m awful?” The pirate just asked, brows furrowed like he didn’t want to believe in Harry’s words.

The smile on the Prince’s face only grew. “I don’t think you’re bad. Surely, there’s something you’d like to do that no ruthless pirate would dare to do,” Harry mocked a posh accent to mimic pirates, but he only laughed at his horrible impersonation.

“What?”

The boy shrugged. “Well, some people want to do something that they’re not allowed to do, you know? Or at least, they think they’re not allowed to.” Harry told him. “Being a Prince meant that I couldn’t leave the palace unless it’s an important cause and not just out of amusement. But, I still sneak out into the forest to study plants that weren’t within the castle.” He grinned, remembering how he hid from knights and how he wrote findings into his journal. It’s probably lost somewhere now. “Nobody saw me except for a few trustworthy people in the castle, so I felt free.” He laced his fingers together. “Maybe you can do something as well, no one has to know.” He let out a small laugh.

Louis bit down onto his lip, not believing that he was actually considering Harry’s suggestion. It was tempting but he knew that he had to remain a pirate. But just as Harry said, no one had to know. What was one thing he wanted to do that he cannot do in front of other pirates? The question made his eyes land on the other boy’s plump red lips, just begging to be kissed. He couldn’t, Louis could never.

“Well? Anything in mind? I’d help you, if you’d like.” Prince Harry’s smile was so beautiful, the dimple just below his cheek made his face even lovelier.

Hook just quickly shook his head. “No, nothing in mind. Thanks for the offer, though.” He turned back around to stare out of the window. Fuck, he almost gave in. Maybe if he avoided Harry long enough, this craving feeling would just go away. But how can he actually avoid him if they were practically roommates? Liam would know something was up if he requested Harry to move places to sleep in.

Disappointment filled Harry. He knew there was something wrong and it ached to know that Louis was bothered. He never wanted the man to feel any confusion or frustration. Maybe he was just biased because of his feelings for the man. So to keep the air light and comfortable, Harry decided to share some things about himself. “Well, to tell you, I’ve broken so many rules while being in the castle. If the Queen wasn’t angry at me before, she would’ve been furious if she knew about the things I’ve done. One time, I went to the yard where I grew flowers and-”

Louis couldn’t take it anymore. There was only one way to shut him up. He calmly turned around to walk towards the smiling boy who kept blabbing about flowers and milk, hooking a finger under his chin to make the boy face him before pressing his lips against those soft red ones.

Harry stopped talking, but his eyes widened and he pulled away immediately in shock, his hands pushing Louis’ chest away. He looked at the man who had an unreadable expression on his face. It felt like something took over the Prince’s body as he walked forward and kissed him again even deeper, pale hands cupping the pirate’s cheeks and feeling the rough stubble under his skin.

Louis definitely did not kiss softly, but Harry couldn’t exactly bring himself to complain about it. It felt as though ripples of inexplicable emotions struck through Harry while the man kissed him. He couldn’t believe it was happening that he feared that he may have imagined the whole thing, but from the way the pirate gripped his hip with one hand and had the other arm around him, he knew it was real. He felt his own lips being parted by the man’s tongue and it made him whimper softly, letting him take control. They both finally gave into what they desired the most; each other.

Louis couldn’t explain how different Harry was from the people he had kissed before. The boy’s inexperienced lips moved uncertainly, it was almost endearing yet Louis couldn’t help but find it so fucking hot. Harry wasn’t so sure what to focus on anymore, he was too wrapped up into the feeling of Louis kissing him that he didn’t notice himself being guided by Louis to wrap his legs around his waist. The man was careful in backing him up against a wall, his head was still hurting. Their lips danced without a care in the world, it was as if Harry was floating and Louis kept him grounded.

The soft whimpers that Harry emitted only made Louis’ cock lurch inside his pants. This boy was absolutely beautiful, Louis couldn’t help himself. The Prince was panting when Louis pulled away, chasing after his lips with his own, but his eyes closed yet again when he felt the same lips against his neck. He imagined them on his skin from time to time, and now that it was happening, Harry felt so filthy but he liked it. Hell, he loved it. Harry ran his fingers through Louis’s soft brown hair. He felt his own groin ache and embarrassingly grounded against Louis, still new to all the things that were happening. Everything was happening all at once, Harry could barely breathe. All he could think about was Louis touching him.

They were both too preoccupied with themselves that they barely heard the knocking on the door. “Captain?” Liam’s voice was clear.

Louis was busy leaving love bites on Harry’s neck just to hear the soft whines and whimpers that fall from his pretty lips. He could hear Liam’s voice at the back of his mind but chose to ignore him, having an angel moan against a wall was better than facing an overly concerned first mate. But from Liam’s fifth call, the Captain pulled away with a sigh and rested his forehead against Harry’s exposed collarbones. He looked up at the hazy boy who looked utterly lost. His pupils were blown wide and his lips were glossy. Louis knew by then that he had many questions. The pirate slowly put him down and immediately composed himself, fixing his hair and clothes while Harry did the same thing to himself.

“Fuck,” he muttered, looking down and of course he was hard. Perfect timing.

Louis answered the door and Liam immediately barged in. “Come in?” He ironically said and closed the door again. He sat on his bed and pulled the sheets over himself. “What’s so important that you had to disturb my sleep?”

Sleep? Harry thought. He could still feel tingles down his spine and Louis’ lips everywhere. His face flushed when he realized that he was hard too. Harry had these before, usually in the morning or after he reads a quite steamy novel. Never because of an actual person.

He went to the bathroom to leave the two of them alone and Louis watched him walk from the corner of his eye.

“We need to appoint people into Ben and Clarence’s previous positions. I think many of them would be delighted to have a higher amount of shares, you know? They keep questioning me.” Liam frowned. “I need you out there, mate. What’s going on?”

Louis completely forgot about the new positions he had to appoint. He was too caught up with everything that happened at the cove and Harry, that beautiful creature. “Nothing’s been going on, alright? I’ll appoint them in the morning.” He grumbled, a little annoyed that Liam disturbed them.

“What happened at the cove?” Liam questioned. “Something isn’t right about you.”

He rolled his eyes. “Should I be offended by that? Harry got lost and I had the difficulty in trying to find him, that’s all.” Louis explained, licking his lips in desperation of tasting Harry again. “He got caught up with Harlequins, you know? Drove him crazy.” He sighed.

Crazy indeed.

Liam frowned, still not convinced that it was the whole story yet he still nodded. “What’s that? Did someone scratch your neck?” He pointed, afraid that he may have encountered something in the cove.

The boy just looked away. “It’s uh.. nothing, alright? It’s fine.” He brushed it off. Liam just looked at him weirdly and just left the room again.

That really did happen. Louis reached up to his lips and felt how swollen they were. He wanted to do it again, but he might’ve shocked Harry with that. It was probably best if he kept his distance for a while, he never should’ve done that. He can’t say that he regretted it completely but he knew it was somehow wrong.

When the bathroom door opened, Louis stood from his seat. Him and Harry looked at each other in the eyes before looking away, not able to maintain eye contact for more than two seconds. Harry moved to the sofa silently, face still flushed after the cold shower he just had. Hook thought it was a good idea to have a cold shower as well so be locked himself in the bathroom.

Harry was still processing what happened. He can’t believe Louis kissed him! He almost smiled at the thought but knowing Louis, it’s probably one of his ways to confuse him again. But he couldn’t help it, he smiled to himself and kept thinking of the way Louis kissed him. He felt so happy and giddy. Though, he felt embarrassed and he should probably not face Louis right now. He wouldn’t be able to focus or act right. A smile never left his face as he left the room and breathed in the fresh air of nighttime.

Hook told himself not to give into his temptations as he clenched his fist, feeling the cold water run down his body. He could still hear the boy’s precious whines against his ear. And to think he looked so innocent with his cherubic face, who knew he could moan so filthy?

Louis wanted to believe that that’s all that there is; lust. He refused to believe it was anything more than wanting to touch him even more and feeling his body against his. It was ironic how he kept this in his mind, completely contradicting what he was actually feeling. It’s been a long time since he felt this way towards someone. To the point where Louis was unsure if it was only lust.

Louis shook his head as if it would help him stop thinking of the boy, reaching over to his jacket that was hung on a nail and retrieving a flask. He opened it and drank his rum while being under the spray of water.

***

The next morning, Louis found himself on his bed only wearing his underwear. His hair was a mess and he couldn’t tell if he was having a hung over or not. He did remember climbing into bed after his shower though, he never saw Harry before he slept.

When Harry entered the room from the front, he was holding some papers and a cup of tea. He was wearing a loose brown shirt, which appeared to be Louis’. It didn’t bother the pirate though, since Harry wore his clothes anyway. The boy was sipping his tea as Louis sat up and rubbed his eyes. Harry saw him sit up and his whole face lit up. “Good morning.” He said, tone soft and calm while he had his lovely dimpled cheek prominent.

Louis looked at him for a second and saw how he was glowing. Can’t blame him, he had light magic inside his body. Probably why. “What time is it?” He grumbled and reached over for his pants to put them on. He noticed that he no longer had his hook, it was on the table along with the food Harry brought. Did he drunkenly take it off?

Harry’s cheeks were rosy, looking away from the man’s body before drooling all over himself. “Not sure, around eleven maybe.” He said.

“Can I have some of that?” He sighed, needed something hot to at least take his mind off well, his mind.

“There’s not enough here.” Harry looked at his tea, which was half full. “I can make you some if you’d-”

“No need, half will do.” He stopped him and held his hand out for the cup. Harry gave it to him and watched him drink it. Louis let out a breath after drinking and nodded. “That’s better.” He handed the empty cup back to Harry.

“Mr. Smee needs you out upstairs.” It was certainly hard to pretend as if nothing happened between both of them last night, especially since it’s all Harry could think about.

Louis let out a groan. “Fuck, I forgot to meet with him last night.” He grabbed his shirt and threw it on, buttoning it up. Hook was supposed to clarify some directions for Liam last night and instead, he got drunk off his ass. What a great Captain he is.

Harry just pressed his lips together. “You don’t have to worry about it. I helped him already, everything’s set.” He told him.

Captain Hook just furrowed his brows and leaned back on his bed. “Did you even sleep last night?” He saw some light circles under his eyes.

“No, I.. I was helping Smee.” He didn’t want to say that he was terrified to sleep again. His nightmares might get worse.

Louis didn’t seem to be convinced but chose not to ask questions. “Harry, you inhaled Harlequins, you should’ve slept.”

The boy smiled a bit. Louis indeed cared about him. “I’m okay now.”

“Oh, well. Thank you for that. I needed to rest anyway.” He didn’t seem to be great at pretending like last night never happened either.

Harry bit his lip. “Actually, um, I wanted to talk to you about something.” He softly said and stood in front of the table with his arms crossed shyly.

Here we go. “Look, Harry. It was nice and all, but you know that we can’t, right?” He said, standing up and walking in front of Harry before putting his hook on the stump. Still, he wanted him. Louis can never deny that, but he can’t do this. Harry seemed to be the type where he would want a relationship, knowing his background. Louis, however, is not sure if he could handle that. Not that he opposed relationships whatsoever, he just didn’t see himself in one.

And definitely not with Harry.

There was something heavy that suddenly dropped on Harry’s chest, it crushed him. He was so hopeful that Louis may have liked him the same way he did. Harry never really cared that Louis was a pirate, it was alright with him. But for Louis, it may have been an issue. “N-no, I.. that wasn’t what I was talking about. I meant, I wanted to discuss what happened at the cave.” He said, immediately thinking of an excuse.

Louis seemed confused. It was odd that he felt disappointed. Deep down inside him, he wanted to talk about it but he did not want to lead Harry on if Louis himself can’t figure out what he was feeling. “Oh, what about it?” He looked away.

“It’s been confirmed that I have some kind of.. magic in me.” Harry was still hesitant. “I’d appreciate it if you keep that to yourself.”

It was understandable. “Alright. On one condition.” He took a step forward languidly slow until Harry could feel the heat of his body against his own.

Louis was absolutely fucked when he saw the look on Harry’s face. He was unsure about the way he felt towards Harry, if it was right or wrong or somewhere in between. He wanted to understand but something in him was too afraid of the unknown. Maybe just one more taste, he craved to kiss Harry again and he couldn’t help himself. It felt like he was losing control and that was the part he did not like at all.

The movement made Harry’s mouth dry as a croaked out, “Yes?”

The Captain’s movements were gentle and it made Harry’s heart flutter. This man would be the end of him. Everything about Louis is everything for the naive boy. His eyelids fluttered close when Louis reached up to stroke the rosiness of his cheek. Harry leaned into the touch.

Louis wanted him so badly, but he knew he couldn’t. He’s a Prince who had light magic, and a very powerful witch is after him. He can’t get himself or the crew involved in a fight that wasn’t his to begin with. Louis couldn’t risk it, but it was so difficult to do so all while Harry walked around so wonderfully. It was known that Louis gave into temptation quite easily.

“Keep me a secret.”

His whispered words made Harry’s eyes open, curious onto what he meant. But he barely saw anything when Louis started leaning in, closing his eyes. He was ready to feel his lips again, but a loud knocking sound made both of them jump away in surprise. It was one of the crew calling for the Captain and frustrated both of them, mostly Louis. Harry was just a disappointed blushing mess by now. What on earth would they want?

Cockblock, Louis thought.

He immediately threw his leather jacket on and went outside without another word. Harry’s pulse was racing as he went outside to follow Louis, seeing how he walked to the other side of the ship and talked to someone, presumably the one who knocked. Harry kept his eyes on them as he went to the helm where Liam stood as he always has been, a rolled map in his hand.

Liam saw Harry walk upstairs and grinned. “Where’s the Captain?”

The Prince flicked his head towards the direction of them man. “Back at the deck, talking to the crew. Is everything good?”

“I could ask the same question, Harry.” He let out a snicker.

A light blush appeared on Harry’s face. “I told you everything that happened at the cove.”

“I didn’t question that.” Liam had a knowing smirk on his face that let Harry know that the man knew more that he thought. It honestly scared him but as far as Liam is aware, Smee was still assuming. “You got something here,” he pointed at his own neck, eyes trained on Harry’s.

It was the marks Louis had left on his skin, the thought made him look down in embarrassment and a pitiful attempt to hide it. “Oh, I um.. accidentally poked myself.” He nearly groaned at this pathetic excuse.

“You accidentally poked yourself four times?” Liam laughed, it was quite obvious now that there was something going on between him and Louis. The thought worried Smee, Louis wasn’t the type to have relationships. It would devastate Liam to find out if he’s just using Harry to pass time.

It was humiliating. “I’m a clumsy person, Mr. Smee.”

“Right.”

Harry didn’t say anything else and just leaned his forearms on the railing. “So is this your everyday job? Finding treasure?” He asked to change the subject, eyes wandering and seeing some a few white birds fly at the sky.

Smee just let out a laugh. “Oh, yes. We venture out into the world to look for shiny things that we never sell to anyone else.” He snorted, shaking his head. Liam’s hair was hidden underneath a ridiculously red beanie hat. Harry imagined his hair to go along with the wind if it was free from the hat’s grasp, or that may be just his odd mind.

The young Prince looked at him in confusion. “You don’t sell them?” He asked. “Isn’t that the point of having treasure? To exchange for lots of money?

He just offered him a shrug. “The others do with their shares, I guess.” Liam said before he removed his hat to fix his brown hair underneath.

“What about yours?”

A low chuckle escaped Liam’s mouth. “The Captain wasn’t kidding when he mentioned how.. curious you are of things.”

He felt his own eyes light up. Louis talked about him to Liam, someone he treated as his closest friend. It warmed his heart, he couldn’t be bothered to question it any further as his face reddened at the thought of the one handed man talking about him.

Liam noticed how flustered he became and it made him smile. Harry reminded him of his younger self, being all blushy at the mention of one person who made their pulse race. He knew that Harry was a little bit naive at times, it wasn’t a bad thing. He’s a Prince, they barely get any problems other than ruling a kingdom. They don’t get to experience what it’s like to be part of a village with barely anything. It wasn’t Harry’s fault he was born into that lifestyle, but it made Liam feel sympathetic. If Liam was assuming correctly and Harry was slowly starting to have feelings for Louis, he wouldn’t want Louis to accidentally lead him on. Liam knew how Louis is when it comes to things like this.

“I suppose I am.” Harry didn’t know what else to say, his words coming out a little sheepish.

Smee gave him a look as if to say it was alright. “I use treasure to buy things for the ship, it’s my share.” He told Harry as he unrolled the map to take a look at it to see where they were.

“And Louis?”

Liam was a little surprised when Harry called Louis by his first name. The Captain never really lets anyone else except him and Zayn, he even becomes rude and childishly mocks people who never address him as Captain. Or maybe Harry just calls him that because Louis wasn’t around. Smee chose to not think about it too much though.

He rolled the map again. “The Captain doesn’t spend anything.” Liam informed him. “He just keeps his shares somewhere, I don’t know where actually.” He shook his head

Harry let the words sink in. When he first got here, Louis clearly said that all he cared about was treasure. Maybe that’s what he went back for at the cave? Harry’s not sure but it was possible.

Harry hummed in response. “Sentimental?”

Liam chuckled. “Not quite, Harry. The Captain just enjoys an adventure more than the prize. He prefers a long and extremely difficult one, too. Such as this.” He clarified, walking around the helm that’s been put into autopilot.

Harry frowned. “Then what’s the point in going through all of this if the importance of the treasure would be nothing?”

“Treasure is only material, Your Highness. The journey of retrieving it, however, will always live inside your mind.” There was a certain pride in his tone, almost a hint to what else he had been through.

Something about what Liam said made Harry realize how his kingdom and Royal Family revolved on such materialistic things that they tend to forget about what’s really important. His mother made sure that Harry would remain humble and would understand that there are more important things to take care of other than suits, food, utensils made of gold or even the crown itself.

Queen Anne married into the Royal Blood because she fell in love with Harry’s father, and she fought for it. Whereas other marriages were built upon an alliance or just for the crown. For his mother, the alliance built was a strong bond between the Royal Family and the kingdom it ruled. A big part of the kingdom died when their beloved queen passed. As Harry grew up, he was starting to see the things his mother told him to avoid. He has seen many greedy people, adulterous men and even women who use people for their riches, and the genders switch as well. Harry couldn’t even begin to list down the times where people highly prioritize objects more than what should be more important.

“Wise words, truly.” He agreed. “I’m just quite used to people valuing money over more important things, you know?” Harry began. “People may think it’s so easy to be a Royal and I understand. Many things are given to you before you were even born, I get it. But growing up that way, it made me like this. Very dependent.” Harry shook his head. “I may have read almost every book in the palace but I still barely know anything. I was too dependent and even believed that marrying some Princess I’ve never met is a good idea since I’ve never really met someone I could care about enough for me to marry.” Harry mentioned.

“I’m sorry, Harry.” Liam understood where Harry was coming from but the man still won’t change his mind. Harry was still privileged, it only had a few flaws along with it because when has anything been perfect? Although, Liam would rather live in scraps than want for nothing and have someone else control his life.

“Don’t be. I never deserved a luxurious life, I’m not even fit to be a King. It’s... it’s just not me.” He muttered, but Liam still heard every word. “I’m sorry that I poured this all out to you,”

Liam grinned. “Don’t be sorry, mate. We’re friends now, whether you like it or not.”

Friends. Harry never had much of that growing up. Belle was his only friend so it felt relieving to hear Liam declare himself as Harry’s friend. “I’d definitely like that.”

They shared a warm look and it made Harry very happy. He looked over to where Louis was standing, only to see that the Captain was already looking at him. At this rate, Harry’s heart might break or just melt. He wasn’t sure if either were a good or bad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you'd like :)  
> help me improve my writing <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: harry and louis went to the cove. they both found out that harry possessed light magic whilst looking for something louis buried deep inside a cave. harry got lost in the forest with fear and panic consuming him, thus, making him hallucinate and blackout. louis found him and the pair have a heated argument. when they got back to the ship, louis had enough and decided to kiss him and touch him in ways no one ever has. it was enough to confirm that something was definitely going on between them. they both try to pretend that nothing happened, but harry failed miserably and louis made it clear (or unclear) that they can't start something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, sorry for the delay. school has been very much demanding of my attention.  
> 

“Captain, can I speak with you?” Liam stepped into a crowd who was speaking to Louis.

Captain Hook had a drink in his hand and a smug grin on his face. He seemed a little tipsy now. Harry was sat on a barrel just a few feet away with a smile on his face, legs pressed together in a very polite manner while he watched the other men dance drunkenly.

They were celebrating with beer and rum under the night sky. Harry wasn’t sure what the occasion was but it was amusing to see the crew and the Captain sing a song in off key. The crew was starting warm up to Harry; they’ve been treating him in a less mean way. Somehow, they treated Harry with respect. They’re definitely not the nicest, but what else could Harry expect really? At least they grin at him and offer him food now, that’s all that matters.

Louis stepped down from the table while laughing, stumbling quite a bit as the others just kept singing drunkenly and clanging their cups together. “Yes, my dear Smee? To what do I owe the pleasure?” He smiled, accidentally spilling his drink so he just carelessly threw the cup to the ground and put his hand on Liam’s shoulder.

Liam pulled him to a corner to isolate them both from the crowd. “What the hell are you doing?’ He harshly whispered.

The Captain gave him a confused look, laughing a bit. “What are you talking about?”

“I meant Harry, what the hell were you thinking?” Liam frantically asked, grabbing his arm.

At the mention of Harry’s name, he suddenly felt sober and felt his confident grin slowly burn away. The man turned his head to see the boy who was refusing to play the flute, maybe because he was shy. One of his crew, Garret insisted so he shyly took the flute and started to play a tune they could all dance to. The makeshift drums were being banged and the others cheered in excitement before dancing ridiculously.

Louis pulled his arm away from Liam and grumbled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I saw the marks, Louis. I know you gave them to him, alright? You don’t have to pretend.”

Hook was at loss for words. “I did not.” Stupid, but he held his chin high like a child.

Liam stared at him dumbfounded. “You expect me to believe that Harry accidentally poked himself three times?”

That bloody Prince. Louis pressed his lips together. “He is quite clumsy.” He laughed.

“I’m not joking here, Lou.”

He rolled his eyes and groaned. “What would you like me to say? They’re just marks, Smee. It’s not a big deal.” He made a move to walk past him but Liam put his hand on his chest to push him back in front of him.

“Uh, maybe for you it wasn’t. But to Harry, it may have meant something else.” Liam pointed out. “Wait, did you-”

“Oh, god. No! Definitely not.” Louis immediately said. “Nothing else happened, alright?”

Liam frowned. “But were you planning for something else to happen?”

Louis couldn’t lie and say that he didn’t. A part of him did, but another part didn’t want to make the boy regret it. “Maybe, I don’t know.” He sighed.

“The boy just lost almost everything, you can’t just play with his emotions like this. Don’t be selfish.” Liam was very concerned about Harry. “It’s either you stop this before you hurt the poor guy. Or just face it and try to make it work. It’s your choice.”

Hook just frowned. He was right. “Why me?”

“Because Harry.. he’s quite innocent when it comes to things like this.” Liam said, implying how isolated the Prince really was from the real world. “It’s best you stop this if you don’t want to be with him.”

“Why are we even talking about this? It’s embarrassing-”

“Having feelings for someone isn’t embarrassing, Louis. Not able to tell them that you do? That’s embarrassing.” He said to Louis with a serious tone, already letting him know that that’s what he felt before.

Louis bit his lip, recalling Liam’s own situation with Zayn. Louis believed that Harry was not ready for him. He was difficult, the boy can’t handle it. “Look, Smee. I know you’re trying to help and all but I don’t know, okay? I’m not even sure of what it was. And getting involved in Harry’s situation, it’s too risky for you, me and the crew.” He told him. “I’m only helping him because he’s helping me. After that, it stops.” Lies.

Liam was disappointed. “Just don’t lead him on. He’s going through a lot and can’t afford heartbreak.” He said. “The most painful potion is for a broken heart, you know that.” Of course Louis does, he collects potions. “End it if you don’t want to try to start something with him.” Those were his last words before Liam walked over to the crowd where the youngest crewmen were doing a dance with footwork.

People cheered them on and beer spilled, Harry appeared to be having so much fun as he played a small bamboo flute while spinning and dancing around. Louis watched Liam grin at Harry who only gave him a big hug, the other man returning it. It was like a jab to his heart. Louis didn’t feel like partying anymore so he let out a sigh and walked to his room.

The Prince had a happy smile on his face as he pulled away from the hug. “Where’s Hook?” He asked, looking around.

“He’s..” Liam trailed off, looking behind him from afar. “I just talked to him.” He frowned and it made Harry a bit curious.

“Hey, Styles! Play us some more!” One of the guys called out and the other just cheered to encourage him. Harry felt very welcome in the ship, he had no idea what made the others warm up to him.

Harry wanted to check on Louis but he also didn’t want to disappoint the other men. So he just nodded and went along, playing an upbeat song with the flute and let the others dance with the beat of their drums while they all cheered and sang loudly.

After a few songs, Harry’s cheeks started to ache from playing the flute and had to have another person to replace him. He slid his hands into his pockets to warm them up before telling Liam he was going to bed. Harry walked to the room and sees Louis with his lower half under the covers. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, leaving his tattoos out in the open.

When the pirate heard the door open, his eyes locked with Harry who gulped nervously. “You missed all the fun.” He softly said.

“Quite frankly, I left. So all of you missed the fun.” He smirked.

His words made Harry laugh. It was true, Louis was the life of the party and he made everything so much better. Not to mention his sassy remarks while he stood on the table with everyone else looking at him with respect and admiration. It was obvious that everyone looked up to him, Harry did too. Louis carried himself easily, everything about him was so fascinating. Just from the way he talked and the way he’s always sarcastic about things. Louis was quite funny too, he made everyone around him laugh. But the man would not hesitate to be serious and have everyone be at his feet.

Harry kicked his shoes off and neatly put them by the door. “What was the celebration about anyway?” He asked.

Louis let out a sigh. So Harry pranced and played flute around all while not knowing what he was celebrating? “Today marked seven years since the fall of the Golden King Midas.” He answered, tone full of mockery for such hate towards the King.

“Oh,” he mumbled. “Why would you all celebrate that?”

“He’s one of the reasons why we all decided to become pirates. His death brought peace to its kingdom and it gave them a new queen. A better ruler, I guess.” He added, watching the boy walk forward and was about to lie down on the couch, but the Captain stopped him.

“Why don’t you sleep here for a change?” Louis said, tone a little sleepy. “It’s cold.”

Harry’s face heated up. He kept blushing whenever Louis’ around him, and it made him feel ridiculous. “W-with you?”

“No, with the bloody mermaids. Of course with me, come on.” He scooted to make room for Harry, taking the left side since it was his favorite side.

Harry hesitated. “I.. I don’t know, Louis.”

His words made Louis frown. “Was I too forward or something? I just wanted some warmth in my bed.” He said. “It’s fine if you don’t want to. The sofa just doesn’t feel nice on a sore back.” He reminded. When Harry still looked unsure, the man let out a sigh. “I’ll keep my hand to myself, I promise.”

“Oh! I-I wasn’t thinking that you wouldn’t.” He stuttered. “I just.. you’re confusing me.”

The sad tone in Harry’s voice made him sit up and furrow his brows. “How so?”

The Prince looked down to avoid his eyes, struggling to talk and explain himself to the pirate. “It’s silly, we don’t have to talk.” He turned around.

Louis stood up, the covers revealing that he was just wearing his black pants with no shoes on. “Harry, if something is bothering you, I have to know.” He made sure to keep his distance, maybe Harry didn’t want him to be near.

The boy just turned to him and his eyes shone from the moonlight seeping through the window. “You kiss me and push me away and tell me that we can’t do this. Yet, this morning you tried to kiss me again and you ignore me the rest of the day. Now you want me to sleep next to you? You can’t keep sweet talking me, it’s just.. it’s not okay.” He whispered the last bit of his words and looked away from Louis again, wrapping his arms around himself. “I know you’re a pirate and you follow some sort of principles, but I would appreciate it if you leave me out of it if you’re just playing tricks on me.” He said, finally being honest.

Louis pressed his lips together, not knowing what to say. The amount of people who wanted something more from Louis was a lot, and Louis never wanted anything in return. But when Harry said it, it felt like his whole world was shifting. This boy was doing things to him, and Louis did not want it to stop. Maybe they were moving too fast but Liam was right, he can’t keep doing this to the Prince. Although, it was too good to stop.

The only response Louis could think of was walking towards him and kissing him, arms snaking around the boy’s slim waist. He didn’t quite understand it. This moment made him think of fencing and how he let himself loose, letting his body move without over thinking it. Harry was surprised, but he felt like dying in Louis’ arms as he closed his eyes and let the man kiss him. He could taste the faint beer on his lips, could feel the rough stubble of hair on the lower half of his face. Harry’s hands went to Louis naked chest to feel how fast his heart was beating. Louis just pulled him closer, tilting his head.

It felt right to Louis, but he couldn’t help but feel terrified that he might not know what he’s getting himself into. They were moving way too fast and things were too forward but neither of them complained. So long as Louis had him close, things felt alright.

Louis pulled away and looked at Harry, who had a faint blush on his pale skin. “Do you feel tired?”

Harry had his hand on Louis’ shoulder, travelling up so his palm was on the man’s neck as his thumb stroked his cheek. “I’ve never felt more awake.”

It was an answer to an unsaid question. Louis leaned up again to kiss him, slowly pushing him backwards to the bed until the back of his own knees hit the edge of it. Louis sat on the softness of the mattress, letting Harry shyly sit on his lap to keep kissing him. Louis could feel him smile and laugh softly against his lips, it made him feel tingles down his spine.

The man slowly slid his hand under Harry’s shirt to his back, which made him gasp from how cold his fingers were. It made the Prince pull away and the sudden movement also made Louis pull his hand out.

Louis felt bad, he didn’t want to seem like he wanted to force the boy to do something he was uncomfortable with. He may be a pirate, but he’ll never forget the importance of consent. “Oh, sorry. I got a little bit carried away-”

“No, it’s okay.” Harry pressed a finger against Louis’ lips, making him stop talking just to stare at his clear green eyes, how mesmerizing were they. “I was just surprised, but please.. keep going.” He quietly said.

From all the tension between them, Louis couldn’t believe they were here. What, with the Prince was sitting on his lap, asking to be touched again. Louis granted his wish right away, hand sliding under his shirt as he kept his eyes on Harry’s. Louis slowly pulled off the shirt and immediately pressed a kiss on Harry’s neck, licking at the marks he gave him yesterday. It made Harry whimper, eyes fluttering while his hands tangled with the pirate’s hair. The air was cold around him and it gave him goosebumps as well as made his nipples hard.

No one has ever made Harry feel like this. He’s never even been half-naked in front of anyone except his dressmakers when they force him in front of a large mirror. He felt wanted in a way no one could ever want him. He could feel his pants tightening just from feeling Louis’ lips and tongue against his skin. He was scared that he might lose his purity tonight, so he couldn’t help but ask, “W-will it hurt?” He muttered.

The question made Louis halt and look up at him, lips and eyes glossy with his pupils blown wide. “Will what hurt?” He asked while still holding him close. When Louis realized what he was talking about, he couldn’t help but smirk. “Were you anticipating for that, Charming?”

Even the mere thought of Louis and him doing that made him flustered. “‘Course not, I was just-”

“Don’t worry. I’m only touching you, that won’t happen tonight.” Louis whispered to his ear, sending shivers down his spine. “Have patience.” He said before grabbing his hip and started to grind the boy down into him. The movement made Harry sigh in relief, breathing out a moan as he let the man guide his hips into his cock. They ground their clothed crotches together and Harry realized how dirty it was to do what he was doing whilst throwing his head back and exposing his neck for Louis to keep biting softly into.

“L-Louis, I..” Harry whimpered out, his thighs were shaking and it felt like the whole room was spinning around him. Everything felt so good, even the slightest touch sent shivers down his spine.

Louis’ hand slid down from his hip and to the soft flesh of Harry’s ass, feeling him through the cloth. Harry let out a quiet moan when he felt the man grip his ass almost possessively. “Good boy, you’re doing so well.” He said in between grunts. His hook made its way up to the boy’s chin, making his breath hitch. “Wish I could fuck you right now. You look so good, it’s all for me.” The cold metal ran down Harry’s throat, the movement was soft and gentle unlike how roughly Louis guided Harry to grind on him.

The Prince felt so dizzy just from listening to his words, he didn’t even notice how he ground himself into the man. “Come on, that’s it.” Louis coaxed him into releasing, taking in every tone of how Harry whimpered his name over and over like a prayer. “Come for me, Harry.”

If Harry wasn’t so high up, he’d probably think this was very wrong. It didn’t stop him from moving closer to press their chests together and letting out a soft moan before releasing into his own pants. Louis was quite impressed he lasted that long, he’s just going to guess that this was the first time someone has ever touched him.

Harry’s face when he came, Louis found it so fucking hot. He didn’t get to release though so he reached down to pull his long and hard cock out to start pumping himself to release, all while having the boy on his lap. Harry’s eyes widened and his eyes were trained on the man’s blurry hand pumping rough and fast. The sight made him feel hot inside, just seeing Louis look so intense with sweat on his forehead and his lips parted from focus. Louis was throbbing hard, Harry couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would feel like to have that inside him, pushing him hard into the mattress. He listened to the low groans and growls that the man would let out. Louis would even let Harry’s name slip from between his lips.

Harry did that to Louis, and it made him so proud of himself.

Louis came between both of them, mostly onto his own chest. “Fuck, fucking hell, Harry. F-fuck,” he groaned out and panted. Louis tried catching his breath and he looked up at Harry, who was still quite amazed by what just happened. They really just did that. Harry could see the traces of come on Louis’ chest, some even covered up part of a tattoo. The way Louis panted out Harry’s name while he chased his own release, it did quite a number on the young Prince. He has never done anything like that with anyone, and Louis probably did that countless of times.

It was a long while before either of them spoke up. “Sorry about your shirt.” Louis chuckled, nodding to the shirt next to them in bed, covered with a bit of come.

The ice breaker just made Harry giggle. “Well, it’s your shirt anyway.” He shrugged, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the come in his pants. He cringed every time he moved.

They both got cleaned separately. For some reason, both of them didn’t want to shower together just yet. They moved quite too fast but they just got carried away. It felt good for Harry, he kind of wanted to do that again.

After they both got cleaned, there was an awkward silence between them as Harry brushed his hair with a fork. Very resourceful. When Louis climbed into bed, the other boy was a little hesitant. He recalled what Louis said this morning, about them unable to be together. Harry didn’t know why Louis did what he did tonight, it only left him even more confused about the whole situation.

Louis rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. “I just made you come in your pants and you’re still hesitating?” He teased, making room for Harry. “I’ll keep my hand to myself this time.” He had a smug grin on his face that only made Harry feel even more embarrassed.

“Sorry.. this is just very..” he tried to look for the right word. “-new to me. And I’m not sure if we’re on the same page yet.” He frowned, rubbing his own hands down his arms to warm himself up. Louis really can’t just kiss and touch him and expect that to be a clear answer.

In all honesty, Louis had no time to talk about this. He was too tired now and just wants Harry to sleep next to him. “We can talk about that tomorrow. Right now, you need rest.” He could see the dark circles under the boy’s eye, clearly from the lack of sleep.

Harry didn’t like the change of subject, but maybe he’s right. Maybe they really can’t do this. Harry can’t lose focus on taking Belle back and facing the Queen to avenge his father. He’s not saying that he regretted what just happened, he just regretted that it had such a bad timing. If he starts something with Louis, he’d be putting the pirate in danger as well as the whole crew. The more he realized it, the more he needed to stay in his own path and keep to himself. This won’t be easy, considering his feelings for Louis. What happened to them earlier was a mistake and it should be treated as a mistake, but it was so difficult. Harry had to accept that he just doesn’t understand what he feels for him, and neither did Louis.

Maybe it wasn’t right after all.

“I’ll be fine, you go to sleep. I’m going upstairs.” He mumbled and turned to walk up the stairs.

Louis didn’t want to admit the fact that he couldn’t sleep without Harry’s presence in the room. He barely could admit it to himself, he’s growing too fond of this boy. No one has ever made him be that way. “Harry, come back here. It’s late, you should rest. We can talk about that tomorrow, but right now let’s just focus on what’s happening now. Come to bed.”

Concern filled his voice, it made Harry turn to face him again. Louis gave him a mocking shrug and the act only made Harry try to fight off a smile. “Ordering a Prince around?”

“My hobby.” Louis said with a smirk.

The Prince had his lips together and let out a sigh in defeat. His feet carried him towards the bed and climbed onto it. He snuggled under the warm covers while humming.

The two boys were facing each other with their sheets to keep them warm. Harry was still felt embarrassed to talk about what happened and how it felt to be held like that, and be spoken to like that. He almost shivered at the memory.

Isn’t Louis supposed to be the one who is hesitant about this whole thing? Isn’t this somehow against his silly pirate rules? Why was he so calm about this? Harry had many questions and he knows not to ask them because he wouldn’t have the answer he wanted.

They both sank into silence, just staring at each other’s eyes. It felt intense and oddly intimate, Harry could feel his forehead sweating even though it was cold. He couldn’t believe where he was right now, lying in the same bed as the most notorious and cunning pirate in all the land. He could feel his hot breath beneath the freezing temperature, it was such a comforting pattern. Just knowing that he was alive right now at this moment, it was truly fascinating.

He felt a slender finger brush against his arm. “What happens after I take you to land near the Dark One’s castle?” Louis asked.

The boy was caught off guard by the random question, but tried to remain unbothered as he felt Louis’ cold finger against his skin. “I guess I’d have to figure out how to go inside his castle without being detected?”

“It sounds a lot easier said than done.” Louis said. “What about your light magic thing?”

The boy shook his head. “I don’t know how to control it. I haven’t even used it. The closest thing I felt to it existing was being inside the cave.” He said with disappointment.

“That’s not good.” Hook told him, staring at his green eyes with blue ones. “You should see someone with light magic first. Maybe ask a few things. It’s better to have some pointers before you go to a castle and kill someone-”

“Hey! I’m not going to kill anyone.” He let out a startled laugh. “Just going to stun them.”

Louis had a smile on his face, it felt surreal to smile this wide until crinkles appeared at the corner of each eye. Harry seemed to make him do so a lot these days. “You’re going against the most powerful wizard of all realms. I doubt that a bow and arrow are enough to stop him.”

Harry moved closer, the temperature getting colder as he came near Louis for heat. “Rude.”

“As always.”

“What do you propose I should do, then?” Harry grinned, scratching his cheek and Louis never missed the dimples.

Stay.

The word echoed in Louis’ mind for a bit, but he pushed it way into the back of his mind. “Try not to get killed. It’s the best advice coming from the Captain of the Jolly Roger.” He jokingly said.

His laughter was put to stop when he felt the Prince’s soft hand on his cheek. It made Louis’ pulse race and gulp. He kept still and sighed when the boy started to caress his cheek with his thumb. “Go to sleep, Louis.” He took his hand off the man’s cheek and left the skin feel cold from the loss of warmth.

Louis was at loss of words, he seemed to have forgotten how his lungs functioned under his chest. The boy had such an impact to his breathing patterns. It felt as though it was the first time Louis had no sarcastic or childish remark to say.

Harry reached behind himself to grab a pillow, cuddling it so he wouldn’t burden Louis. He slightly wanted the pirate to hold him to his chest but he felt like that was too much to ask.

“You too, Charming. You need some.”

Maybe the nightmares went away. Harry shouldn’t be afraid. They’re just dreams, they’re not real. Dreams are only tricks played by the mind, he didn’t have to worry. They bed was soft and warm enough to make the boy slowly sleep.

Louis just watched him sleep for a bit. He realized how peaceful the boy looked while being out of it. It was as if he had no problems going around

***

“Have a bite,” a familiar voice echoed in the Prince’s mind. “You can’t defeat me,”

Suddenly, Harry found himself back in the garden of his home. His eyes widened as he looked around, the images seemed distorted and it gave him chills.

“You killed him!” A booming voice came from behind him, making him turn and he saw his stepmother with a menacing smile, slowly walking towards him with a bloodied dagger in hand. “My husband, you took his life!”

Harry panicked, trying to run but it seemed as if he was glued in place. He looked for any type of weapon, but there were none. It felt too real. When the Queen stood in front of him, slashing his arm with the knife. The pain felt real as well and made him cry out, seeing blood drip down from his arm.

The Queen grabbed his chin and forced him to look into her blazing eyes. “You can’t defeat me.”

Harry gasped and opened his eyes, only to see Louis’ worried ones over him. Louis helped him sit up and there was a sudden pain on his skin.

“Ah,” he painfully let out hissing, looking down at his arm. His breath was caught in his throat upon seeing the very same cut he received from the dream.

Louis still had no idea what was going on and when Harry started to hyperventilate, he grabbed his shoulder and hushed him. “Hey, it’s okay, Harry. You’re fine, everything-” he caught sight of the cut on his arm. He almost panicked but then remembered that he wasn’t wearing his hook. He can never admit how he would never want anything to happen to the Prince, especially if he’d be the one to cause it. “Where did you get that?”

Harry couldn’t speak. You can’t defeat me. It kept ringing in his mind that he felt the need to shake his head and screw his eyes shut. Was it a memory from his lost week or did the Queen manage to get inside his dreams? He couldn’t tell, but she was wearing the same red dress from that day.

“Hey,” Louis had a frown on his face. He felt worried upon seeing Harry’s face, so full of thoughts that he couldn’t voice out. “It’s okay. It’s just us here.”

Harry’s eyes felt watery. “It’s the Queen. I saw her. I saw her, Louis! Sh-she tried to kill me and I couldn’t move!” He felt the fear in the dream, and the pain. “It felt so real.” His voice cracked.

Now, that was understandable. “It was just a nightmare, Charming.”

“I-I killed him, didn't I?” He asked with a whimper, closing his eyes as if to stop himself from imagining that he was the one who took his father's life. The guilt that he tried to supress was again resurfacing in his mind and body. He killed him, he's the one who took a King from his home. He's the one who endangered the whole kingdom and he will always be the Prince that failed his subjects.

Louis was a bit confused, but then slowly remembered that Harry still believed he was the one who killed his father. He couldn't tell if he really did kill him, since Harry couldn;t remember anything for one week. His missing week. But he also couldn't tell if he didn't. He could feel the pain seeping from Harry's body and the guilt was contagious. “You didn't kill him. You were under a spell. You still are, you'd remember what happened if you aren't. It's dangerous to jump to conclusions, especially after having a nightmare.”

“N-no, she.. she cut my arm in the dream. This was the same spot.” He looked at the cut. “Do.. do you think she was communicating with me?”

Upon looking at the cut again, Louis felt puzzled. It was definitely not a stretch to assume the Queen somehow entered his consciousness, she was a witch. “I’m not sure about that, dreams are unpredictable. Though, I’ve never seen something like this before.” Louis took his arm to look at the cut. “It’s not that deep. Give me a second.” He stood up and went through his bandages inside a drawer. Louis wrapped it around Harry’s arm carefully and sighed. “We need to tell Smee.” He said.

When Louis left to go talk to Liam, Harry’s head was hurting really badly. Already at the point of him not being able to stand up. It was as if someone was drilling a hole into his head. Harry groaned as he clutched his own curls, it was too much.

Smee came to the room and immediately rushed next to Harry. “Harry, I need you to lie down, okay?” He gently said.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” Louis demanded. “He’s been having nightmares continuously and even refused to sleep to avoid it.” So he did notice. “He said that his stepmum appeared in the dream and attacked him in the same place.”

Liam took off Harry’s bandage and sighed. “This is really bad. If a witch wants to mess with someone’s mind, dreams are usually a way. Nightmares interacting with reality require location.” He scratched his head. “If we’re assuming correctly, then I don’t want to alarm you, but I have a feeling that she knows where you are.” He anxiously said.

Harry just felt his heartbeat go faster. He has to get off the ship, it’s best if he did. “You have to take me back to land, I can’t risk any of you getting between me and her.”

“Absolutely not.” Louis immediately said as if the words that left Harry's mouth repulsed him, not even able to hold back his thoughts. The Prince looked at him with worry, but Hook seemed determined to keep him in the ship.

Liam nodded. “I agree with Louis. You can’t be left alone, love.” He tsked, Louis’ head snapping to him.

No one but his mother ever called him ‘love’ in a while. It made Harry crack a small smile amidst the situation. Though, Louis had a burning stare at the back of Liam’s head as he crossed his arms.

“There must be a reason why she took your memories. You must’ve seen or heard something you shouldn’t have.” Liam pointed out. “It makes sense doesn’t it? You said before that there’s a prophecy about you, maybe that was that.” He glanced at Louis, who had a hard look on his face. “You have to remember. Anything at all, Harry. It would help.”

The boy was conflicted, hugging his legs to his chest. “I-I can’t. The whole week was a blank to me before I got to a forest and met a huntsman.”

“A huntsman?” Liam raised his brows.

Harry nodded. “Yes, a huntsman. He was ordered by the queen to.. take my heart and bring it to her.” He muttered. “He didn’t do it, though. He showed me mercy and let me go, then I got here on this ship.”

Liam pressed his palm against his forehead. “What’s the name of this huntsman? Maybe after we get the treasure, we can go back and speak to him.” He offered.

His mind was a bit fuzzy but he could never forget the man’s name. “It was Niall. I never got his last name.” He scrunched his nose at the realization, but he caught how the other two shared a look.

Louis’ arms dropped in surprise. It couldn’t be. “No, Niall Horan?” He asked.

Harry assumed that from the look on both their faces, they knew him. Probably not in a good way. “I didn’t know his last name.”

Smee looked exasperated. Was Niall really a bad thing? “Was he blonde? Talked about hunting rabbits or something related to rabbits?” He questioned.

That was way too specific, it made Harry a little anxious. Louis looked frustrated as well. How could they be? Niall let him go after he was tasked by the Queen to take his heart, even when he could receive a reward for it. He still refused and let Harry live, he could never forget about that. “Yes.. do you know him?” He answered, following it up with another question.

Liam just ran his fingers through his hair that was free from the red beanie. He didn’t answer his question though, only looked at Louis before they both left the room. Harry didn’t mind, his head was hurting enough for him not to speak for a bit.

“This isn’t good, there’s a big possibility that Niall lied to him.” Liam muttered, one hand on his hip while his other pinched his cupid’s bow between his fingers.

The Captain slowly nodded. Niall was quite known to spin the truth around, especially when it comes to keeping his mother and brother alive. “It’s hard to tell if he’s the reason why the Queen might know his location.”

Liam rubbed his forehead, seeming a bit distressed. “We have to help him, mate. He has nobody else and no one is going to protect him.” He quietly said, the thought just made Louis frown. “Maybe the treasure can wait-”

“No, we’re doing this first. We finish our job and then think about everything else after.” He shook his head, refusing to put things aside just for a boy. “You don’t understand, Smee. We’re so close to getting those chests,”

“And Harry is so close to being captured and be killed.” Liam interjected. “Niall may be your friend, but he possibly put Harry in danger. Let’s just be grateful that his witch of a stepmother has never been to this ship or she would’ve teleported herself here and killed us all.” He finished and saw how Louis was considering his options. “I know that you care about Harry, can you please just think about this?”

He can’t believe that Liam is always right. This was why he was his first mate. He was still stubborn. “We finish this first. You said it yourself, that Queen can’t get here. Harry’s safe, calm down.” He reassured him. “If something does arrive on the ship, when have I ever lost a fight?” Louis gave him a smirk before patting Liam’s back and walking back to the room.

Smee was still worried but he did have a point. He needed to trust Louis, so he let him off.

When the pirate got back to the quarters, he saw Harry sitting on the edge of the bed. It seemed like his migraine ended by now. “You alright?”

“Yes, I’m very sorry for disturbing your sleep. It’s annoying that I keep doing that to you.” Harry shamefully said while looking down at his lap. He still had the bandage on.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about that.” Louis brushed him off and lied down on the bed with a sigh. It was obvious that he’s tired but once he’s awake, he’ll stay awake.

Harry remained seated on the edge quietly, just thinking to himself. He can’t focus on his feelings for the man right now, there are too many things happening and he can’t just toss them aside for the pirate.

Louis saw how the boy barely made any move to lie down again, so he spoke up. “Niall was my friend, if you’re wondering.” He started and made Harry turn his head to look at him. “I met him at a different realm called Wonderland.”

The boy’s attention was caught. “You’ve been there?”

A low chuckle came from Louis as he nodded. “Yeah. It was stressful. It happened way back, I wasn’t even a pirate yet. Just one of the crew.” He shook his head, recalling the memories he had. “I was thrown overboard by our shitty Captain and ended up in that bloody realm, the Queen of Hearts captured me and sentenced to cut my head off,” he saw the anxious look on Harry’s face, it was amusing. “Niall saved me. See, he’s a thief and he stole the Hatter’s hat.”

“The one that can take you to different realms?”

“Yes,” he noticed how Harry’s eyes lit up. The boy seemed to love these sorts of things, he adored stories and maybe read too many books. It was endearing, Louis couldn’t help but feel how fond he was getting of this boy. “I trusted him with my life, he was brave enough to go against the Queen of Hearts for me. He took me back to the ship and that was that. I considered him as my friend but..” Louis let out a sigh, pinching the skin between his brows. “He revealed the location of the ship to some other battle ship for some money. We were ambushed and some barely even survived. After that incident, we were sent back to Midas’ kingdom where my friend, Zayn was appointed into being a Captain and he chose me to be his first mate.”

Harry frowned, looking down. Is this Louis’ way of saying that maybe Niall tricked him as well? “But.. Niall was kind to me. He let me go.” He softly said. “I can’t believe he’d do such a thing.” Should Harry not judge someone based off of what they did in their past? He wasn’t so sure anymore.

Louis bit his lip. “I do think that he only saved me for his own benefit. He gave me a compass, said that I needed it so I wouldn’t get lost again. He secretly put a tracking spell onto it beforehand and used that to reveal our location.” He continued. Louis trailed off and glanced at the bow and arrows that leaned against the wall near the door.

Prince Harry followed his eyes and saw that he was looking at his weapons. “You think he put a spell on those too?” He pouted since he had grown attached to them.

The pirate just clicked his tongue and stood up, taking the bow and arrows and leaving the room. Harry only assumed that he threw them to the sea. The thought just made him sad, he had no weapons to protect himself anymore. Last time he had been to the weaponry, they did not have any bow and arrows. Only swords and cannons.

Louis came back with a carrot in his hand, biting into it while walking. The bow and arrows weren’t seen again. “Threw them out, just in case.”

The Prince’s life after the palace has been quite odd. He hoped that Belle was here, she’d understand how completely bonkers his life has been lately. He can’t even list off the weird things that happened while he was in this ship. He just nodded at what Louis said and clutched a pillow to his chest.

“Don’t worry, we’ll improve your awful fencing skills,” he snorted, remembering when they first fenced together and how Harry quite skillfully pinned him to the ground and had him by the throat. Louis is aware about his inner thoughts revolving Harry. He remembered how hot it was for the boy to be on top of him that way.

His words made Harry smile a bit. “I’m supposed to worry about the Queen and Belle, why did you say that to make me laugh now?” He laughed after finishing his sentence.

“That was the point, Charming.” He answered with a fond look on his face.

Harry was completely charmed by him, Louis’ chest was so inviting to lean his head on.

They both just looked at each other for a moment. Louis broke their eye contact, clearing his throat. “About last night,” his words made Harry embarrassed and look away. “I want to let you know that I’m as confused as you are.” He reassured him. It wasn't easy for him to talk about things like these, Louis has never accessed these kind of feelings in a long while. Or ever, really. 

The boy had no other words. Their situation had a case of bad-timing. He wondered what it would be like if he had met the pirate in a different circumstance. Come to think of it, he would never have been near the ocean if he never ran away from the palace. If Belle was never taken away and if the Queen wasn’t hunting him down, there was probably no other way for him to meet Louis. “I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me. You have much more important things to do and as do I.” He muttered.

“Harry, that wasn’t..” he stopped, trying to find the right words to say. “-my point. I just,” the Prince was starting to notice how Louis found it so hard to talk about things like these. Harry believed that he wasn’t as cold-hearted as he makes himself appear to be, but he understood how this may be hard. He found it difficult as well, but Harry tends to accept his own feelings. The only difference is that Harry didn’t quite understand it. Was it love? It’s too early to say and it’d be childish to say it is. What Harry maybe feeling is only infatuation, and it’s their choice if they want to develop that. “I’m just not the type to start a, uh... relationship?” Louis seemed like he was asking a question.

Hook didn’t understand. He did this all the time, he said these words all the time to people he had one night stands with. But when it came to Harry, it was so hard to treat him like a one night stand. Especially when most of those people were the ones he met at pubs or taverns and they both would have one drunken night together. Harry, however, has been on the ship for almost two months now. There was no denying how there has always been tension between both of them.

The other boy couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Honestly, what did he expect? For Louis to say that he wanted to try this out? Harry doesn’t even know what ‘this’ is. He doesn’t exactly have any past experiences to compare. “Yes, I get that.” He nodded.

Of course, Louis saw how down Harry suddenly became. He genuinely wanted to try this out, but he feared that he would regret it. Or make Harry regret it. “I just can’t give you what you might expect from me, you know? I’m not exactly a romantic person,”

“You don’t have to explain yourself. I understand. I wouldn’t want to force something you don’t want, or involve you in my awful situation.” Harry composed himself, offering him a smile. He taught himself how to do that as well. Back when he still lived at the palace, most Royals tend to misjudge him or say something rude in a classy way. Harry would be surprised but tried to hide it with his winning smile. As much as he hated trying to act fake, he had to please these people to make his father proud.

Louis was pretty good at telling if someone was lying. Right now, Harry was telling the truth. He would never mean any harm to go Louis’ way, of course he wouldn’t. But still, the wavering of Harry’s voice and the small smile hinted how he was a little sad. Why would he be sad? Everyone should be glad that they’re not with Louis. The opposite goes to Harry though, anyone would be lucky to be with him. Louis couldn’t lie and say he didn’t want to be that person, but the Prince deserved way more than a pirate like him. As much as Louis claimed to be outrageously handsome most of the time, he didn’t exactly felt like the person that anyone would be lucky to have. It didn’t feel that way. Hook would probably just become another burden in Harry’s life.

Maybe he was just thinking way too much about this, there are more important stuff he has to deal with other than his ridiculous feelings.

In the next few days, they never talked about it again. Louis proceeded to help Harry improve his own fencing skills. As for the nightmares, it stopped. Slowly, but it did. There was a small scar on Harry’s arm forever now, but thankfully that was the last one. He just hoped it wouldn’t happen again.

Niall was still a big mystery, they can’t quite figure out if he went against Harry or not but he believed that the blonde man did. It kind of helped that Louis threw away the bow and arrows, maybe those were really the one that kept his connection with the Queen.

Liam was still questioning Louis if he tried to make a move on Harry or not, but Louis just didn’t feel like telling Liam that he stopped.

Smee spoke to Harry after that day, saying that he had to remember because whatever made the Queen feel the need to wipe his memories might be very useful in facing her. Harry was conflicted though, he had no idea how to make himself remember. Even if he tried, the whole week was blank to him. Louis just listened to their conversation, wanting to help but he felt like he shouldn’t risk it.

Today, the two of them were sword fighting yet again. Some of the men would glance around to watch them, some just ignored them. Louis didn’t really know how to teach. Luckily for him, the Prince was quite a fast visual learner. He learned his tricks and foot work. All Harry needs to master is to calm down place while being in a fight. He tends to sweat a lot, mumble, talk and move way too much, whereas Louis barely even moved his other body parts other than his legs and one hand.

Whenever their bodies become too close, Louis always stared at his eyes and become distracted. These were one of the times that Harry can push him and have him cornered, making the boy proud of himself.

“Fight like a man, Charming!” Louis joked, letting out a laugh as he pushed his hair back to clear his view.

Harry scoffed. “That’s very sexist. You know, women can fight better than you.” He said on behalf of all the women.

The pirate rolled his eyes and threw his sword across, making Harry let out a surprised grunt when the blade pinned his shirt to a wooden post. The throw was clean and didn’t even cut Harry’s shoulder. “You almost killed me!”

Louis walked towards him and pulled his sword out. “But I didn’t, did I?” He sarcastically said. “And you say that almost at every fight. Do you ever get tired of your own voice?”

His words don’t really upset Harry. They kind of just make him laugh now. The Prince was so used to being complimented that it was nice to hear some changes. Some truth. “Do you?”

Louis didn’t realize that the question meant if the pirate got tired of his own voice and so he thought to himself; he probably would listen to Harry talk for hours. He could get lost in his accent. The Prince’s voice was quite deep and hypnotizing, kind of the opposite of Louis’ which was a bit high-pitched and extremely annoying.

He was about to say something, but Liam walked towards them and gave both of them a cup of water. “Here, you’ve both been at it since this morning.” Liam teased, putting his arm comfortably around Harry’s waist.

Louis felt something burn at the pit of his stomach upon seeing Liam just casually do that. Harry didn’t seem to mind too, putting his arm around Smee’s shoulders before putting the rim of the cup between his lips and having a drink. Captain Hook had a hard look on his face, he couldn’t help it. His jaw was clenched, but he still managed to drink from the cup.

“So, is this the plan? Just throwing swords at each other until the sun goes down?” Liam had a smirk on his face, looking at Harry who just giggled, what the bloody fuck is going on?

Did Harry have a thing for Liam now? After Louis sort of turned him down? Well, he didn’t exactly turn him down, Louis turned down the opportunity of labeling what they might have. And Liam was the one who’s been trying to get them together. Why is he suddenly so interested in Harry?

The Prince had a grin on his face. “There’s a slit on my shirt now, thanks to him.” He flicked his head towards Louis. The hole exposed the boy’s shoulder and it made Louis lick his lips. Saying that he wasn’t the type to settle down didn’t mean he wasn’t attracted to Harry. The boy doesn’t even know how incredibly beautiful he was, and that made him even more desirable. Louis hated the fact that he couldn’t just stop himself from being lured in by Harry.

Liam let out a chuckle. “The good old flying sword trick. Took him years to master that, by the way.” He told Harry, only to make him laugh as well.

It’s funny how Harry pretended as if everything was great. It was as if he and Louis had a confusing nonexistent relationship, or how an evil Queen is hunting him down, or his best friend was trapped inside the Dark One’s castle. He was just here, laughing with his friend and Louis.

Captain Hook just let out an offended scoff mixed with a laugh. “You’re one to talk. Smee doesn’t even know how to dance a waltz.” He told Harry and just laughed, trying to humiliate Liam.

It worked though, the man had an embarrassed look on his face. “Yeah, it’s true. I don’t attend many dances.”

Though, Louis’ plan completely backfired. “I can teach you, if you want! Not to brag, but I’m quite good at waltzing.” Harry offered with a dimpled smile.

The embarrassment washed away and was replaced by amusement. “Well, alright then. Tomorrow.” He offered and the boy just nodded.

Louis almost huffed in annoyance. One of his crewmen called Harry over to help with their food since the Prince knew his way with ingredients. The two men were left alone and Louis couldn’t help but glare at Liam. “What the bloody hell are you doing?”

Smee just furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

“That!” He half whispered and half shouted. “Whatever it was, what was that?”

Liam just chuckled, a little amused from his good mood. “You’re just confusing me, Louis. Use words.”

The pirate rolled his eyes. “Nevermind.” He made his move to walk away but Liam grabbed his arm to stop him.

“No, there’s something bothering you. What is it?” Liam’s brows were knotted together, really concerned about his best mate.

The Captain just shook his head. “It’s nothing and quite frankly, it’s ridiculous.” Louis pulled his arm back.

His friend gave him a frown. “You’ve been acting strange the past few days, what’s gotten into you?”

Louis only let out a huff. “I’m fine. Back off, Smee.” His tone was mixed with annoyance and anger, it really did make Liam take a step back. The first mate never wanted to anger Louis at all, the pirate always end up quite impulsive when he is pushed over the edge.

The other man just shook his head at Louis, rolling his eyes before walking away. Captain Hook felt upset with himself. He never liked himself while angry. Louis immediately composed himself when Harry walked back.

The boy looked more confident with a sword in his hand, doing a spin with it. “Another round?” He asked with a shrug.

“I’m done for today. Report me yesterday’s stats and I want to know approximately how long until we get to the destination.” He laced his fingers behind his back and calmly walked away.

Harry was confused. “Wait, isn’t that Smee’s role?”

“Are you complaining?” He questioned, there was a serious undertone in his voice and it somehow made Harry freeze in place.

The Prince’s shoulders tensed. “Um.. n-no, I-”

“Then do as I say. I’ll be in my quarters.” He sternly ordered and walked away.

Prince Harry was left stunned. Louis never acted so cold towards him before. It was like the time they first met. His blue eyes were as cold as his voice. Earlier when they were still fencing, everything seemed fine and casual. Hopefully it did not have anything to do with him, and that Louis was angry at something else. He shook his head at himself and withdrew his sword, sliding it into its place through his belt.

Harry was in deep thought while he unrolled the map to deduce how long they need to continue until they get to a specific place. The Prince wasn’t even sure if the treasure was buried on land or beneath an ocean. Or buried under the ocean floor. He guessed that the pirate’s will figure out, it’s what they do.

Hours later, Harry was still recording the statistics within the ship including the food rationing, material needs and others. He had a list of the information needed, which was supposed to be Liam’s job. Speaking of Liam, Harry hasn’t seen him in a while. It made him wonder why, Smee is always walking around to make sure things are in place. It was kind of his thing to check on everything he could. Unlike Louis, he just gave orders around and people followed, Harry was guilty of that sort as well. It is a perfect fit, with Louis being the ship’s Captain and Smee as his First Mate.

“Ah, finally.” He sighed when he finished writing, looking at his neat cursive writing and proof read the list on the way to Louis’. He opened the door and walked inside. “I finished doing the.. statistics,” he paused, words slowed down when he was met with a freshly showered pirate, hair still dripping down with a towel around his waist. It was one of those cliché moments where Harry felt his mouth dry while his eyes trailed down the man’s tattooed body.

Hook just stared at him with his brows raised and wiped his hand on the loose towel to dry them before taking the papers from Harry and scanning through it. The boy remained silent as he tore his eyes from Louis’ body. They both agreed to not act upon what they felt, but that didn’t mean Harry stopped being attracted to him. It was hard not to be while Louis was.. Louis. He had an aura that just made Harry want to give in and just ask Louis to touch him. His voice gave him the chills. In all the years of Harry being alive, and in the countless number of grand Balls he attended, no one made him feel the way Louis did. This is why the man fascinated him.

To be honest, he was a little glad Louis said that he didn’t want to label things. And to be frank, Harry believed that he felt the same way. Even though nothing else will happen between them, at least the boy could still be close to him. Harry never thought he could be sad and happy at the same time.

Now, Louis nodded while looking through the list. Harry was quite detailed and even included the cleaning materials. The thought almost made him laugh. Princes and their tidiness. When will he learn? “Alright, this is good enough.” He turned around to walk to his drawers, inserting the papers in between the last page and the back cover of a familiar book.

The Bravest Heart was sitting on his desk. By the looks of it, the book was recently opened and read through.

The sound of a piece of cloth falling to the ground made Harry’s eyes widen and turn to the other direction. Why in heaven’s name would Louis do that? Then again, he should’ve expected that pirates are very much different to the conservative Royals such as Harry. Although, whatever happened the other night wasn’t at all conservative in Harry’s behalf.

The thought of Louis being undressed right behind him still made him shift his weight on one leg to another. He remembered every single detail of that night. How Louis moaned out his name, grabbing him wherever he could and how harsh he could be while being gentle all the same. It made Harry a little dizzy just thinking about how the man touched himself in front of him, not at all caring that Harry was watching. He could still remember how he shivered while he reached his own peak, only from grinding against each other through their clothes. The effect Louis had on him was both physically and emotionally, it was something he can’t explain. The stories he read and heard did not do any justice to what he felt that night. Words, such an awful way to underestimate feelings and sensations.

The pirate got dressed in a loose brown long-sleeved polo and his usual black pants. The buttons of his polo were halfway done, exposing the ‘It is what it is’ chest tattoo and his sharp collarbones. Why did he have to look like that? It was hard to not be affected by it.

He tried to snap out of it. “It might take us a month to get there, by the way. Less if we’re lucky.” He softly said.

Louis only gave him a nod, not even glancing his way while rolling up his sleeves. He took his book and lied down on the bed while Harry awkwardly sat down on the couch to unlace his shoes to take them off.

Something was definitely wrong. When the Prince turned to look at him, Louis had his back on a pillow against the bedpost as he sat comfortably. He was almost too quiet. Usually, he’d give Harry a snarky remark and just be his usual sarcastic self. But right now, he was silent. It was as if something set him off. Or maybe he’s just being moody.

“Are you just going to stare at me to death?” Louis questioned, not taking his eyes off the page of what he was reading. “Or should I be worried?”

Harry felt the heat creep up his neck. “I-I.. no, I wasn’t-”

“Oh, come on, Charming. I know that look.” Louis exasperatingly sighed, finally setting his eyes on the boy. “You’re judging me.”

To his surprise, Harry scoffed. “I do not have an overly critical look.” He crossed his arms.

Louis raised his brows at him, loudly snapping his books closed. “And precisely, you defend yourself from me.” He stood up and went to his shelf, opening it to get a glass. Harry watched as the man poured rum into the glass, filling it halfway. He put down the flask and took the rim of the glass between his lips. His movements were almost hypnotizing Harry. “Tell me, Charming, what on earth is going on inside your head?” He said after sipping some rum.

“No.” Harry stood up and shook his head, making the pirate purse his lips in mock curiosity. “You tell me yours. This morning, everything was fine and then you act like this, like...” he trailed off, seeming to struggle with what he was saying.

Louis’ brows were knotted, a glass of rum in one hand and the other inside his pocket. “Like what?”

Harry scoffed again. “I don’t know! That’s what I’m trying to figure out here.” The boy frowned, gesturing his hand towards the other man.

“I have no time for this.” The pirate calmly said and turned away from Harry. “You are so damn annoying, Charming. It amazes me that you’re still onboard.”

“See, this is what I was talking about. Where is this coming from? We were fine-”

“No, we are not.” Louis interrupted him with a loud voice, facing him again. He drank the rest of his rum and slammed the glass down on the table, making Harry flinch a little. Surprisingly, the glass didn’t shatter, but the anger in the man’s face broke out. “Ever since you arrived on my bloody ship, everything is just falling apart!” He accused, his hand and hook were gesturing as if to prove a point. “I might as well be bloody losing it as well and it’s your entire fault.”

Well, now Harry’s quite offended by that. What did he do to Louis for him to say that everything was his fault? He clenched his jaw. “If you thought that way, I should be dead by now. A hook on my chest or my body at the bottom of the ocean, right?” He slowly shook his head. “I’m in a ship full of pirates and even now, I am surprised that I’m still alive.” Harry tried his hardest to not cry as he clenched his fists. Louis tends to view tears as a sign of weakness and the Prince is not going to give him the satisfaction.

“As I recall, which I do; you need me. I’m your only option on getting to the beast’s lair.” Louis said, holding his head up high. It was very obvious that something set Louis off, that is why he’s acting like his obnoxious self. “And I still have you here because you know your way with this particular map that we’re following. So, correct me if I’m wrong.” He paused, waiting for Harry to speak up. He had a smug look on his face when Harry didn’t, raising his glass again. “Thought so.”

The look on Harry’s face said it all. It seemed as if Louis hit a nerve. The pirate really made it sound like Harry needed him more, which is probably true. Louis can look for any other treasure and toss Harry aside, but Harry only has one friend to save and if he dies before getting to her, it wouldn’t be Louis’ responsibility. The Prince wanted to list off the things that Hook did to either piss him off or leave him wondering with curiosity. Yet, he never spoke. Instead, he just sighed as he shook his head and turned around to leave.

Louis just looked on with confusion. “Where are you going?”

“Anywhere but here. I’m so tired of dealing with this with you.” Prince Harry had a hurt look on his face, it only made Louis roll his eyes to mask his disappointment in himself.

The sound of footsteps up the stairs and the door opening and closing made Louis’ shoulders drop. Hook kept convincing himself that Harry was just being dramatic. It wasn’t working, he felt responsible of him leaving.

Tired of me? He thought to himself, chuckling incredulously. He poured himself another drink and just stood there for a while, just thinking about what to do next.

Cold wind wrapped around Harry’s body the minute he stepped out. The sun set itself already, but it was barely dark out. He wrapped his arms around himself and just grabbed the ledge of the ship, making his knuckles turn even whiter.

“He give you a rough time as well?” Harry craned his neck to see Liam standing beside him with his hands in his pockets.

He gave him a slow nod, sniffling a bit. Harry wasn’t particularly sure if it was from the cold or his mixed feelings for the Captain. “Yes, I guess so. But, it’s not a big deal, Mr. Smee. Like you said, he has his moments.”

Even after all that, the Prince still had faith in Louis. Still hoped for things to change, even if Harry won’t be part of that. At least he’ll be here to see it, if it happens.

Liam smiled a bit at Harry’s determination. It wasn’t everyday to find out a kind young lad would start to care for his best mate. “He and I had a misunderstanding earlier, probably why he let out his anger on you. I apologize for that.”

The Prince’s lips curled downward. “Don’t think that way, Smee. You’re his closest friend, yes? I’m sure this conflict between both of you won’t last forever.” He reassured, trying his hardest to stay positive.

Having his stepmother, which is found out to be an actual witch, hunt for him didn’t really put Harry in a good place. Also, the fact that his friend might be tossed in a dungeon or tortured somewhere didn’t settle well in his mind. Now, starting to grow feelings at the wrong time for a man who wants absolutely nothing to do with him, definitely burned Harry. It’s very hard to be positive nowadays.

Liam just offered him a scoff mixed with a chuckle, shaking his head as he stood next to him. “Doubt it. The Captain tends to take days before he cools off.”

“Does he do this often?”

“Oh, only all the time.” He laughed, looking at the Prince as he wondered to himself. “I don’t mean to pry, but whatever is going on between you and Louis,” his words made Harry tense a bit. “I hope you’d be careful.”

Harry didn’t exactly know what to say. What was his response supposed to be? Were they really that obvious? He took a deep breath. “Don’t worry, nothing is happening.” He bit his lip. “He made it perfectly clear.” The Prince softly said.

He really admired how accepting Liam is. It wasn't very rare to meet people outside his kingdom who are very open minded about sexualities and such, but there were still some people who don't entirely accept it. He remembered the time he was touched inappropriately and how the man threatened him if anyone ever found out that he was with another male. The thought still disgusted him.

Harry grew up in such an accepting environment, but he was still reminded of how things aren’t the same outside his home. To be honest, Harry wouldn’t be surprised on how many people Louis has been with. With that personality and physique, who wouldn’t be hooked in?

When he said those words, Liam could feel how painful it was for him. This was probably the first time he ever went through any type of romance, and it definitely wasn’t going as expected. Liam has never experienced being a Royal, but it was probably a stereotype how every Prince will meet a Princess and live happily ever after. He hoped that Harry wasn’t hoping for something like that with Louis. Knowing the Captain, Harry would probably not get what he was expecting.

Smee tsked and shook his head, not saying anything else.

Some silence glazed over them until Harry spoke up again. “I do not want to pin after him, Mr. Smee. And I will not.” He assured him. But the more he thought of what he just spoke of, it seemed as if he was assuring himself more than the other man. “There are more important things to focus on other than a man.”

The Prince’s epiphany piqued his interests again. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to advice. It was more likely that Harry will have his heart broken by Louis than be with him. “It’s none of my business, I just want you to be careful. Louis is... complex. He’s in his own world.” Liam told him. “I admire you, Harry.”

That made him smile a bit. “How so?”

“Like I said, Louis is in his own world.” He stared off into the sky, the moon was starting to appear, but barely. “You had the courage to knock on the door. Not many would do so. And you,” he softly laughed, putting his arm around Harry’s shoulders to comfort him. “-will be the only knock he’ll answer.”

Harry only wished for that to be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you'd like :)  
> help me improve my writing <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: louis was overthinking the situation between him and harry. liam meddled with his life, as usual. louis could never forget about how good harry moaned into his ear while he touched him. a nightmare resurfaced to harry later that night, and he discovered that the queen can contact him through his dreams. niall's loyalty and credibility was questioned. louis experienced jealousy and completely hated the emotion. harry got fed up and ended up talking to liam again. the first mate encouraged him to have patience and wait.

The boy figured out from the start that Louis had this pride that can never be knocked down. There were times that Harry managed to bring his guard down. Like the time he apologized for his actions. The man had a difficulty to do so, but he still did and that’s what mattered to Harry.

Right now, he’s trying to figure out how he’s going to face the Dark One. There’s been a lot in his mind lately that he forgot he was going to the castle and help Belle escape. He didn’t know how he’ll do it, the mysterious wizard was very unpredictable.

He was drying his hair with a small towel. The Prince was freshly out of the shower, droplets of water darkened some spots on his shirt. He was completely alone inside the room since Louis left even before he woke up. They were so close to reaching their treasure, it made the crew be livelier.

When he came back to the room a few days ago, he noticed how Louis was holding a small blue vial and was just observing it. As if he was thinking so deeply about what to do with the potion. Harry didn’t really have time to assume more since Louis caught sight of him and immediately put the vial back into the small chest he kept under his bed. They never really spoke to each other. Harry only sat on the couch and continued to sketch on a small paper whilst Louis sharpened and shined his hook.

Now, the Prince picked up the fork from the table and started to comb his shoulder-length wet hair. He sat himself on the table and let his legs barely dangle due to how long they were. He felt like today will be a good day, but didn’t want to get his hopes up.

Footsteps came from the door and it revealed Louis, looking quite sharp and calm. “We’ve got a problem.” He spoke. Quite so.

They’re talking now? Harry thought to himself as his movements slowed down, eyes following the pirate while he moved towards the table where he was and went through the drawers. “What does that mean?”

“It means that we’re nearing a mermaid shelter, Charming.” He lowly said, taking a journal from one of the drawers and opened it, setting the object on the table next to the boy. “The map is leading us right to it and I am not liking it.” His voice was quiet but laced with venom.

Harry looked at them oddly, they figured out the location? “But.. they’re mermaids. Aren’t they supposed to be nice and helpful?”

“Ah, your books lie to you.” He muttered, pointing at an image in his journal. “These are mermaids and they’re ruthless and absolutely manipulative. They’ll kill anything that doesn’t belong to the ocean since they claim it as theirs.” He told him. “Only because they can’t come to land.” Louis huffed and turned around to go to the shelves.

Harry picked up the book and observed a drawing of a gorgeous mermaid and merman. “Is this yours?” He asked as he flipped through the pages and saw many different sketches of different things or people.

“Is that really your concern right now?” He scoffed and poured some rum into his flask.

He watched him groan, struggling with pouring while his sharp metal contraption was hooked into the flask’s lace to hold it in place whilst mumbling ‘bloody hook’. Out of instinct, Harry stood up and grabbed the flask to prevent any spilling. Louis furrowed his brows at him, but didn’t say anything.

“Is this really your concern right now?” Harry softly referred to the flask as his eyes locked with his, a little playful.

Louis picked up the tone, it seemed that the Prince wasn’t at all annoyed with him. That’s a good sign, right? He snorted, raising his brows and inhaled before letting out a bored breath. “There’s no wrong time for a drink.”

At that, the Prince let out a giggle. “May be true. I’m not much of a drinker, though.” He muttered, observing how Louis filled the flask to the brink and put the rum bottle away without even putting the cap back on it.

Louis didn’t say anything else as he went back to the table and took the journal and The Bravest Heart book before laying on his back on the bed. His head was hanging over the edge as he held the book in front of his face. Harry had to tilt his head to be able to read the cover of his journal, which was ‘Tomlinson, L.W.’

Harry watched how his eyes moved from left to the right, as if reading from line to line. Suddenly, Louis sat up and quickly grabbed his flask to take a full gulp. Harry was slowly catching on to what was going on, but at the same time, he wasn’t.

Harry stepped aside when the man walked past him. “Are you alright?” He asked as Louis went through the books in another shelf.

“I’m fine, Charming.”

Harry had a slight cringe on his face when the man started to throw books into the floor behind him. “You don’t.. seem to be. Did something happen?”

When Louis, once again, refused to answer him, Harry crouched down to be near him. “What happened?” He whispered.

Captain Hook let out a sigh and rubbed the sides of his face. “You don’t understand, Harry. You won’t.”

“Then make me?”

Louis seemed hesitant, but he shook his head. “Mermaid species and humans like me, we don’t mix.”

“Didn’t a mermaid give you a necklace?”

“Yes, that’s what I was referring to. My alliance with her resulted her exile from their kingdom. Let’s just say that other fish people wouldn’t like seeing me.”

It was quite brave in Harry’s eyes. Even when mermaids dislike him to the point of pure hatred, he still managed to sail across the ocean without a care. But somehow, Louis seemed currently distressed. A big sign that whatever they’re going to encounter, it’s going to be awful.

While he was watching Louis calmly but quickly gather some papers and push them into a box, he cleared his throat. “Listen,” he started and made Louis halt.

“I know what you’re about to say, Charming. Quite frankly, you don’t need to say another word.” He mumbled and stood up, Harry following suit. “While it was fun, I wouldn’t want to cross the professional bound between us. You help me, I return the favor. Simple as that.”

It was like being rejected all over again without even trying. “I get that. I just wanted to let you know that you don’t have to explain yourself. I understand that bit.” He said. “What I don’t understand is how you could shift from one mood to another in a span of minutes. I mean, did something happen? Was it something I said?”

Louis had no other words to utter, just offered to look back at the boy with a much softer and genuine look. “No, Harry, it wasn’t something you said.” It was more like something Louis saw. He had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach and it only ever happens whenever Liam was near Harry. Louis didn’t want to think that he was jealous because he wasn’t. Definitely not jealous. Why would he be? He was the one who turned down the chance, why would he be feeling this way?

“Then what was it?”

Captain Hook was a skilled liar. He could lie and keep a straight face and posture. Somehow, Harry could see through him. That fact only made Louis feel as if he was at Harry’s mercy. There was no point in lying, but not telling the whole truth was still an option. “Smee pisses me off.”

His words made Harry chuckle a bit. “When are never pissed off at him?”

That was true.

Harry sighed. “If it makes you feel better, Smee is only trying to help. Whatever made you feel upset-”

“I’m not upset.”

“-Smee is definitely just doing it to help you. I doubt he’d do anything to piss you off.”

Now that Louis came to think of it, he’s probably right. Maybe Louis just decided to over think the situation. He just gave Harry a curt nod and stood up. “In a few hours, we’ll be at a mermaid shelter. It’ll be absolutely dangerous. I would probably need to speak with them.”

“Why is it so important to retrieve a treasure after endangering your lives?”

It was Louis’ turn to let out a sigh. “Take risks, Charming. It’ll make your life worthwhile.” He walked past him and jogged up the stairs to leave him in the room.

Harry pursed his lips. It was odd how he discovered something new about the Captain every day. The man always carried himself in a way that only a fellow complex person could understand him, such as Harry. As much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself, Harry knew how complicated he himself can be.

The little Prince went outside and saw Liam looking stressed as well. What is it about mermaids that they couldn’t trust? Are they really the vile species that Louis claim them to be? Harry couldn’t help it.

He’d be damned if he found out.

His feet carried him towards the ledge and as he knew it, there were distinct figures of boulders piled up against each other. From what Harry read, they were commonly used as leisure places for mermaids. To humans, sofas are comfortable to sit on. To mermaids? A vertical rocky figure would do.

When Liam approached him, Harry gave him one of his common confused expressions. “Why is Louis so afraid of mermaids?”

His random question made Liam laugh a bit. “He’s not afraid, Harry. They’re mermaids. He’s determined.” He pat his back before walking on to the other side of the ship. “He’s like that quite a number of times. It’s more frequent than you think.” He mentioned whilst having his back turned and walking.

Harry let out a cold breath, watching a small cloud of it appear before his mouth and dissolving completely into the wind. He went to the helm where Louis was pacing around.

“Can I at least help?” He asked.

No, it wasn’t determination written on Louis’ face. Definitely not. Harry made that conclusion when the man looked up at him immediately after the Prince asked. He could see many emotions in his eyes. Harry wondered what he may have been thinking about for the past couple of days. Too many emotions. Though, Harry could only pick one emotion from him.

“You’re worried.” He said when Louis didn’t answer him.

Louis just let out a sound mixed with a scoff and a chuckle, looking away and shaking his head. “Worried. I’m not worried. Worry takes up too much of my time, I don’t have time to be worried.” He mumbled in a quite fast pace and grabbed the helm.

Harry wasn’t entirely convinced. Not when the man was pacing, it was the first time he saw the Captain like this since the first time they met. “Tell me what’s bothering you. There has to be something. You’re a mess-”

“I am not a mess!” Louis exclaimed as he took large frantic steps towards Harry. The boy remained frozen, unfazed by his actions by now. “Whatever you’re trying to imply, mermaids do not bother me a single bit. Do you know why?”

“Why?” He asked softly in contrast to his tone, which made Louis’ eyes soften.

“Because I have something they don’t. It’s called leverage.” He told him.

“And what’s that, your necklace?”

Louis paused and he slowly leaned back. There was a gleam in his eyes and his expression changed as if something just hit him. His lips curled into a smirk and he let out a laugh, which just confused Harry even more. “Precisely! Oh, this is bloody amazing!” He had a wide grin plastered across his lips.

 _I ought to keep up with these sorts of mood swings_ , Harry thought to himself. He was about to say something but the man cut him off.

The Captain was grinning brightly. “The necklace, yes. Can’t believe the thought didn’t cross my mind, Charming. Smee!” He called out as he descended down the stairs with a spring to his step.

Liam was walking towards him after speaking to a crew member. “Yes, what is it?” He asked, slowing down his pace when seeing Louis smiling widely. Rare.

“I’ve got a brilliant plan!” He huffed with a laugh. “You’re all going to help me drown!”

Liam coughed to prevent himself from choking on his own saliva, eyes widening with astonishment and shock altogether while Louis still had a confident grin on his face and arms stretch to his sides.

***

“You can’t be certain that this will work, Louis!” Smee disapprovingly said, arguing with Louis who just groaned childishly while throwing his head back in frustration in the middle of the deck, surrounded by the crew.

Louis rolled his eyes. “Stop being so uptight, Smee. It’s really not helpful.” He said as he circled the crew in a careful manner, thinking deeply about his elaborate plan.

Liam shook his head in irritation. “No, you can’t do that right now, Louis.”

“Do what?”

“Be stupidly impulsive!”

“Well, thank heavens that I am, Mr. Smee. Or this wouldn’t work at all if I wasn’t.” Louis huffed with a glare and kept his arms behind his back.

Liam still looked annoyed. “It’s a suicide mission.”

Louis scoffed. “I’m only going to say hello to our dear fish friends.” He sarcastically remarked, throwing his arms around a bit as if it wasn’t serious. “It’s not that big of a deal, Mr. Smee.”

“But Captain, don’t you think it’s a little bit dangerous?” One of his crew asked to reason with him.

“We’re pirates, who cares about danger? Thought you lot know that.” He calmly said. “Now, to the matter at hand, does anyone have any idea how to help me drown?” He bluntly asked.

Liam still had a distressed and confused look on his face. “How is this a good plan again?” Smee asked. “How the hell did you even come up with this and can you please start from the beginning?” He exasperatedly said.

The Captain just hummed. “I go to the ocean, drown, or fake drown, whichever you all prefer. Then, one or a group of mermaids will come to me and recognize who I am. They’ll take me as prisoner since they’re intelligence is nonexistent. Smee will ask for me and the treasure in exchange of their precious necklace.” He told them all, confident and arrogant.

“That is insane.” Liam shook his head. “I will not allow that-”

“Boring.” Louis immediately said. “Can’t you be a tiny bit exciting, Mr. Smee? Oh, I can feel the adrenaline already!” He let out a laugh, suddenly turning the other way and walking off.

“Harry, I’m sure you’ve got something to say to knock some sense into him. He’s losing it.” Liam whispered into Harry’s ear. “He’s going out of his mind again.”

After hearing about the plan, it made the Prince feel quite nauseated. He wasn’t sure if it was the part where Louis had to drown or the part where he’ll be captured by a group that treats him as an enemy.

“Losing it? What do you mean?” He asked. “Why is he so excited to fake die? He’s not the least bit concerned over his life?”

Smee sighed. “This does happen often. Only when necessary, I suppose. He just sometimes, you know, gets bored like a child. Then act like the most intellectual human being the next.” He had a worried look on his face, mixed with aggravation. “Nobody understands why but somehow, everyone just does as he tells them to.”

This plan was a complete twist of events but Harry was finally going to see Louis in action as a pirate. It was quite interesting, but that was just sub-text. Anxiety was what Harry mostly felt about the situation. Opposite with Louis’ world, he just grinned and it was filled with cockiness.

“In context of your words, are you going to let him do what he’s planning?” He asked him in disbelief. When Liam solemnly nodded, the creases on Harry’s forehead relaxed in exasperation. He couldn’t believe that it was actually happening.

Harry chose to walk onwards to Louis, who was alone and busy putting the necklace into a small flat box. “Are you crazy?” He whispered, crossing his arms.

Louis hummed as if he was thinking, pausing for one moment. “I’ve been informed that all the best people are.” He finished with a fake grin and looked away, the smile vanishing with it.

“The plan is insane, and you know it. You’re not seriously putting yourself in harm’s way, are you?” Harry crossed his arms.

“Once I’ve made up my mind, Charming, it’s quite impossible to put a stop to it.” The Captain took a good and long hard look at Harry’s eyes. “I’m doing this.”

“Why you? Why can’t it be someone else?”

“Because if it were someone else, they wouldn’t hesitate on killing them. No matter what it was in exchange.” He simply answered. “If it’s me, my dear Charming, they would not kill me. Killing me would be too easy for myself, thank you very much. No pain. Utterly boring.” He told him. “Torturing me? Now, that,” he laughed incredulously. “-is precisely something a mermaid would do to the greatest Captain of all time.” He grinned.

If it was possible for Harry’s eyes to get any wider, then that was the state they were in. “Torture you?!” He was appalled.

Louis let out a sigh. “Oh, come on, Charming. Surely, you’ve caught on to what I’m trying to do here. You’re the intelligent one, so tell me the whole point.”

The Prince’s lips parted as he thought about it. “They resent you and you’re using that to your advantage. They wouldn’t kill you in sight, they’d capture you and throw you in their own dungeon. For torture,” he said, trying to understand. “But they’re mermaids, things that seemingly belong to them are far more important than a mere human who confided with a rogue mermaid. They’d give you back in exchange for the necklace.” He said, taking in how impressed Louis looked with his summary of the plan, the Prince got it all right. “But..”

“But?”

“How will you get the treasure?” He asked. “And the necklace seemed important to you, you’re not just giving it away.”

Louis looked at him, impressed and very much surprised. “You’re asking better questions than Smee.” He mentioned. “I have leverage on them, remember?”

“And what’s your so-called leverage?”

Captain Hook gave him a smirk, it was the kind that gave him goosebumps and shivers down his spine. Not sure if it was the good kind, but Harry chose to go along with it. He opened his arms as if to gesture to his own body. “Me.”

“You,” Harry said in a bored tone. “You’re the leverage _and_ the bait?”

Louis smirked. “Brilliant, isn’t it?”

“I admit, it’s interesting.” He slowly nodded, shifting his weight from one foot to another. “But how can you be so sure that this will work?”

“They can’t take anything from me, Harry. I have nothing to fear about.” He brushed it off.

“But.. you’re not considering the slight possibility that they can kill you?” He slightly narrowed his eyes.

Louis stared at him intensely, it was as if his eyes were scanning him. “Trust me, they won’t. It’d be dumb for them to do so.”

Harry hummed, nodding and was deep in his thoughts. Louis was basically calling them stupid enough to kill him. Would it be smart to torture people? Harry didn’t exactly understand, but what did he know about being a pirate?

A few hours later, the ship stopped nearby the piles of rocks. Harry was too anxious to even watch Louis casually pace around the deck. He was stood right outside the door to the Captain’s Quarters. Louis was commanding everyone to their positions and he was finally on a small boat, hanging by the side of the ship in a matter of minutes.

It was terrifying, Harry would be absolutely horrified if he was in Louis’ place. But from the way Louis was laughing and being his usual unusual self. Louis reminded Harry of a fox, dangerous and eccentric. Ready to face enemies with no hesitation. He had no idea what the outcome for this plan will be.

Harry was now standing by the rails, watching the other men tightly connect the boat and the ship with ropes, doing complicated knots that Harry can still name one by one. His eyes fell to Louis, who was just calmly looking at his hook. How can he look so peaceful as if he wasn’t facing death? Harry would be struck with fear if he were to face people—in this case, merpeople—who have taken a great disliking towards him, to the point of hatred and giving them a chance to kill or torture him. Louis, on the other hand, was entirely calm. He almost looked bored, even. Harry wasn’t sure if he should be concerned or quite impressed.

The Prince cleared his throat, his cheeks flaming from the cold air. “Are you certain about this?” He asked Louis, something twisting at the pit of his stomach.

“That is the twenty-seventh time I’ve heard that similar question today.” Louis muttered under his breath, arms stretching to his sides as he rested his arms on the edge of the boat. He watched his men work, putting trust in all of them that they won’t drop him out of nowhere.

It was odd that Louis kept count. “Are you even aware at how-”

“Insane? Crazy? Maniacal? Bloody hell, it was as if each one of you ate a Thesaurus book.” He said, amusement was written across his face. “Lucky charm,” he mentioned as he reached inside his shirt from the neck, pulling out the shell necklace.

Enough said, Harry almost laughed at that, but remembered that the situation was serious. “Louis, you could die.”

“What have I got to lose?” The pirate said, finishing it off with a smile.

Harry just had his arms crossed, still unsure about the whole plan. There was nothing he could do, though. He was just a mere watcher. He can’t get involved because Louis probably wouldn’t like that very much. Liam was still annoyed, and mostly worried. His concern for his best friend was almost heartwarming until it was remembered that his best friend was bonkers. Still heartwarming, nonetheless.

When Harry was called over by one of the men, Liam took his place nearby his Captain. “What if we’re putting Harry in danger as well. You don’t suppose that the people under the sea would be connected to his stepmother, do you?” He rubbed his hands together anxiously.

Louis ran his fingers through his own brown hair. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Smee. One thing we know about merfolk is that any form of alliance with a human is strictly forbidden. I shouldn’t worry.” He grinned.

Liam’s lips parted in surprise. He looked at Louis for a while. The Captain only gave him an odd look as if to question why he was staring. “You really thought this through, have you?” Liam asked.

Louis’ features softened. Of course he had. Any type of act that could endanger the Prince, would be cancelled out immediately. He didn’t want to admit that to himself, but the soft voice in his head was telling him that he couldn’t let anything happen to that boy. Nothing is to happen to him, not on his watch. He didn’t say anything else, only looked away from the knowing man.

Although, there was a shift of events. Harry felt a sudden whirlwind, making his hair fly from different directions. He turned his head around to the left, seeing the skies darken and thunders boomed across upward. Harry flinched at the sight of lightning, not really used to seeing one up close the ship. He immediately looked at the Captain, who was surprised as well. The look on his face only meant one thing; this wasn’t part of the plan.

Liam’s eyes were wide, probably just as the vast ocean. “Oh, bugger.” He muttered under his breath as he watched a figure from the ocean be raised with a fountain of water to be at level with the ship’s deck.

Louis’ body was tensed as he kept his eyes on one figure of a young looking female merperson. She looked young, but from her scales, she was probably almost five hundred forty years old, middle ages for merfolk in their realm. Louis got that from one glance at her. The mermaid was wearing a stern expression on her face, and red seashells for her chest. She held a golden trident that seemed to glimmer under the sun. Her dark skin was quite gorgeous, almost shining under the afternoon sunlight. Her brown eyes were blazing and her braided hair was littered with underwater flowers and pearls. She looked quite familiar.

There were a few mermen at the surface of the ocean, probably guarding her. Harry was stood frozen, ten feet away from the boat Louis was on. He wasn’t sure if he should hide or stay in plain sight.

The Captain kept his eyes on the mermaid in front of him, narrowing his eyes to slits to intimidate her somehow, but the mermaid didn’t falter with her expression. “Mister Tomlinson.” She simply said.

Louis plastered a sarcastic grin, raising a brow at her. “Miss Triton, I presume?” He said in a mocking manner.

It probably wasn’t smart to make fun of a powerful being while currently locating among her ‘territory’. Harry wished that he could sow Louis’ lips together, but he didn’t make a move to even come close to them. He feared that one wrong move might make her do something awful to anyone in the ship, especially Louis.

“I have reason to believe that you know perfectly who I am, Mister Tomlinson. I suggest that you leave the ocean for good and at once. No violence required.” She said, her voice was very calm and she carried herself with some pride and power. She reminded Harry of his stepmother, which only made him settle this mermaid on his bad side.

Unlike Harry, who would just cower away or bow his head out of politeness, something he would very much do if the one speaking was his step mother; Louis pretended to think about it, humming in the process. “How about never? How does that work for you?” He grinned, the corner of his eyes crinkling. “Oh, why am I even bothering to argue with you, Miss Triton? You’d still claim the ocean as yours.” He pouted at her, continuing his ridiculing of her character. “Is it because you can’t walk among land? But humans can journey on land and on the sea? Well, that’s got to be tough, innit?”

Her nose flared in anger, but she still kept her head high up. “You’re just like your father.” She slowly blinked, face emotionless now.

At the mention of that, Louis’ face fell and he almost wavered a bit.

Harry’s brows furrowed. His father? Louis has mentioned his father before but has never elaborated. He only mentioned him once, as Harry recalled. When they were at the cove, Louis mentioned that him and his parents, as well as Smee, were the only survivors of the wolf attack. Harry thanked the heavens for his memory when he remembered the book that Louis held onto, and the note scribbled on the very first page of it. Was Louis the ‘William’ being referred to in the note? The pirate never talked about any of his parents, which is why Harry grew curious to the way Louis faltered at the mention of his father.

Louis gathered his composure again and let out a laugh, shaking his head at her. “I’m nothing like my father—”

“Oh?” She cut him off. “Then what do you call what we are currently doing, Captain Hook?”

Once again, Louis’ menacing grin slowly faded and was replaced by a clenched jaw and a hard expression.

She seemed to be proud of herself for hitting a nerve. Harry only grew confused. What did she mean? What were they doing? “The Reaper’s chests in exchange for what?” She asked, eyes fiery. Her question only made Harry’s chest tighten; they knew what Louis was planning to do. “Apologies for spoiling your plan, but I am always two steps ahead of you.”

That just made Louis snort. “Really? Then what do you suppose happened with your red-headed daughter?” He seemed to hit a nerve back as well, his devilish grin returning in the process. It was like a game of insult and contradiction that Harry could never understand. There was so much about Louis that he didn’t understand or even knew about. “I don’t suppose the Lady of the Sea would just decide to exile her only daughter because of betraying her own mother. By giving a human something that the sea holds dearly onto.” Louis tsked, slowly walking to the other side of the boat he was hanging on with his hand and hook behind his back.

All these revelations are too much for Harry. The Lady of the Sea? This was her? She seemed so young looking. And her daughter was the one who gave Louis the necklace, but why? Why has Harry never asked Louis that?

The Lady of the Sea grew silent, must have had to do with her daughter. “She lost her home because of you.”

Louis scoffed, shaking his head and just chuckled. “No, she didn’t lose her home. She broke out of her cage, that’s what happened.” He pointed at her. “She’s free from you.”

She just blinked, almost looking unfazed by his words. It was silent once again for a short while before she spoke again. “Don’t be absurd. She became human, the most ridiculous specie that ever graced the realm. She’s even more trapped.” She argued, voice not even breaking from its calm quality.

“Oh. Quite the sentimental loss, Miss Triton. Your dearest Ariel, turning her back on you for a human, the one specie you despise the most. Ironic, isn’t it?” He chuckled. “Sentiment, mostly a human error. But maybe, just maybe, it also applies to merfolk.” Louis put his hook in front of him, as if to taunt her.

Her jaw clenched, finally elicited an emotion from her. “The Reaper’s chests, in exchange for what?” She pressed once more, as if to change the subject.

Louis just grinned at her. “You’re the Lady of the Sea, surely you’ve made your guess already. Or do all merfolk just lack intellect nowadays?”

Her expression relaxed. “The Heart of the Ocean.” She almost whispered.

Was that small shell really that powerful? Even the actual Queen— _Lady_ of the Sea was greatly affected by it. And Louis just wore it around his neck like it was nothing. Harry exhaled slowly, still frozen and invisible in his place. The crew were also standing where they were, they didn’t seem as horrified as Harry though.

The Captain just shrugged. “Yes, well, I’m not going to give it unless I got my treasure.” He pushed his hair back with his hand. “A deal is a deal, Miss Triton.”

“Lady Athena.” She seemed to be not overjoyed by how Louis addressed her as her late husband.

“Right, Lady Athena. I always seem to forget that your husband left you. I won’t send your regards to dear Ariel, by the way.” He said, laced with mockery.

“I’ve never met a human as repulsing as you, Captain Hook.” She spat with vile.

The Pirate only gave her a fake expression as if he was touched, clutching his own chest. “Thank you, that was quite the compliment.”

The Lady only gritted her teeth. “What if I was to kill you right now?” She said, and suddenly, there was a sharp object near Louis’ windpipe, raised by water as if it had a mind of its own.

That was when Harry finally flinched in reflex, as if to walk towards Louis but immediately stopped himself. It was too late, though. The Lady caught sight of him. He was the only one who moved.

To describe how it felt upon seeing her face perk up just from seeing him, he couldn’t find the words to it. She had such a delight in her brown eyes, it was suspicious.

“Prince Harry,” she called out and made his spine freeze. How did she know who he was? Well, technically, she was somewhat a Goddess, she probably knew everything. To be addressed by an entity wasn’t very calming. “Step closer, if you please.” She told him. “That’s an order. You’re in my kingdom.”

At her words, Louis just scoffed, although there was a slight anxious waver in his tone. “The ocean is not yours–”

“Step closer.” She demanded, pausing between words.

Harry’s feet slowly carried him nearer the boat that Louis was in. The pirate didn’t even spare him a glance, not wanting to give the Lady the satisfaction.

Lady Athena observed him. “You’ve traveled quite a distance from your kingdom, very far indeed. Queen Eva doesn’t seem to appreciate that.” She said. “She’s coming for you.”

The last few words made Harry’s heart pump faster. She knew about the Queen and possibly, the prophecy. Harry couldn’t bring himself to ask her to explain what she knew.

“Is your heart beating faster or slower? I can’t exactly tell.” She said with such ease and made Harry gulp, trying to hold his ground and not seem terrified. “Your heart is quite precious, if you can’t tell already.” She dragged, her voice was quite elegant and at the same time, deadly. “Quite a number of people who are looking for you. I’d say they’ve become obsessed with what you have in there.” Her fingers raised in an entrancing way and pointed at Harry, eyes on his chest from afar. “There are many people after you, hunting you. Determined to never stop until they’ve carved out that precious heart of yours."

“What, are you jealous of all the attention he’s getting?” Louis scoffed, firmly adjusting the coat he wore. Louis discreetly glanced at him, as if to check if he was alright. The Prince locked eyes with him in a split second and looked away. He was absolutely sure that the Lady saw that little interaction no matter how cautious they were being. The Lady didn’t bother to interject to what Louis mockingly said to her.

“Why is she after me?” Harry asked the Lady, gathering all his bravery to speak up in a smooth voice.

“Why is anyone after anyone?” She grinned. “The Evil Queen wants something from Snow White.”

The Prince took a slow step forward. “My heart. Why?”

She still had her smile on, but looked at him in bafflement. “It seems to me that you’re clueless as to why she’s coming for you.” She shifted in her seat, which was just the ocean acting like a geyser. “Something is coming." The Lady said, leaning forward only for a bit, her words made Harry alert. "Something dark and powerful. It’s quite a pity that you don’t know.”

“No, I don’t.” He said. “And I take it that you won’t give me any information to go with.” Harry quietly said.

“Of course not.” She said as a matter of fact. “I love watching you all run around like brainless dwarves.” It was quite astonishing how her voice could depict different emotions without even being mobile. “And satisfying the Evil Queen is very dull, indeed. Capturing you is a waste of my time also.”

Harry furrowed his brows. So she won’t take him and hold him hostage to exchange something with his stepmother? Sounds promising enough. “Why?”

She tsked, shaking her head. “Let’s just say that her power is another second rate. Unexciting. Not worth any of my time.” She looked him up and down, seemingly judging him yet Harry kept his posture and prevented himself from curling away. “My, my, Captain. I never took you for the settling-down type.” She smirked, sensing just how much he was concerned over the Prince. “I mean, I still am not, considering the string of people you’ve had.” At the mention of that, Louis clenched his fist. “But look how much you care about Prince Harry, Son of Solomon.” The way she talked was so painfully slow and menacing.

“Is there any ending to this conversation? It’s starting to get boring.” Louis interrupted and raised his hook up to his chin, resting his elbow on the other forearm as if he was thinking. This situation was starting to get unnerving, Louis felt uncomfortable but played it off as if it meant nothing to him. He was quite an actor.

“I really did believe that your one true love is this ship of yours, Captain Hook. Grown such an emotional attachment to it, have you?”

Louis clenched his jaw. “It’s not just a ship.”

“It’s a piece of wood, Captain.”

“And this,” he reached inside his shirt and revealed the necklace in plain sight. “-is just a seashell, surprise me.”

The Lady had her eyes in slits now, narrowing them at Harry to provoke him to say something. “Maybe it _is_ time to surprise you, Hook. Maybe it is time to further prove your words,” she started.

Louis now appeared bemused. “And that is?” He trailed off.

Then, there was this menacing smile upon her face. Harry was sure that he won’t anticipate what might happen next.

“Sentiment is a human error.”

It became all too fast, Harry didn’t even notice how a loud and ear-piercing shout of ‘no!’ left his mouth when seaweed suddenly wrapped itself around Louis and pulled him into the water. Then, in the split of a second, all of them were gone. Louis was no longer in the boat, the Lady of the Sea wasn’t being carried in a pedestal of water. And the mermen guards were gone. The last thing Harry heard was his own loud voice and Louis’ audible grunt in surprise. One splash of water.

Harry’s jaw hanged in surprise, clutching the railing of the ship as he looked down at the sea, watching the round ripples of water spreading out. The circles silently mocked Harry. Louis was gone just like that.

Smee was quick to grab Harry’s arm before he did anything terribly stupid. “Harry–”

“We’re going after him, right now.” He said and started to strip himself from his jacket and shoes until he was wearing his shirt and pants.

Liam pulled him back. “Don’t be ridiculous, Harry.” He said.

Harry stared at him in disbelief. “You’re not seriously saying that I’m ridiculous for not trying to let your best friend drown?” He argued, anger and fear mixing in his voice.

“This was part of Louis’ elaborate plan, Harry. He said that he thought this through!” Liam convinced him not to jump overboard. “He can take care of himself.”

“The look on his face told me otherwise,” Harry didn’t hesitate as he took a sword from Liam’s belt and jumped overboard after taking a deep breath, hearing Liam yell his name just before he splashed into the water.

Knowing Liam, he’d follow through Louis’ plan and won’t come after them. Although, Liam worried so much about the two.

One thing that Harry seemed to forget about being in a ship for almost three months was that there were no bodies of water nearby his own kingdom. Therefore, he never learned how to swim.

Harry sunk quite fast and he couldn’t find Louis anywhere. He feared that all of them took him away already, but when he felt a sharp blade graze his arm, he was proven wrong. Harry looked up, his vision quite blurry but thank heavens for the afternoon sun. A red cloud of blood was forming around Harry, making his vision underwater even foggier. A merman was holding a sword as well, and Harry was struggling to hold his breath while fighting him, finally pushing the merman’s sword away. The move made the merman grumble and swim far away.

When he finally caught sight of Louis being still tied up, he pushed himself off the seabed and glided to him. Harry slowly cut the seaweeds and pushed them off the man who was struggling to keep awake from the loss of oxygen. Upon seeing Louis in that state, something sparked inside Harry. He didn’t know how it quite happened, or how the ocean was split in two with them in the middle. His mind was processing things too slow. Harry breathed in the air while still standing on the seabed with Louis lying down soaking wet and slowly opening his eyes. It only happened for a second before the ocean closed again and they held a breath in again.

There was something behind Louis’ eyes the moment Harry saw them. When Louis saw Harry, the Prince only saw fear. The fear on Louis’ whole body was evident. From his eyes, face, heart; everything. Was it because of how the ocean decided to split because of Harry’s desperate need for Louis to breathe?

Louis now took the sword from Harry’s hand and seemed as if he buried the blade into someone behind Harry. The Prince looked over his shoulder and saw a merman who seemed as if he was going to attack Harry. The merman just lost his life and Harry felt awful for it. It was self defense, but he wished that Louis didn’t have to kill him.

The pirate tugged on Harry’s shirt as if to tell him something. The man pointed at something underneath the sand. Harry followed him and pushed the sand back, only to feel the rough surface of a wooden chest. Harry’s eyes lit up; the Reaper’s Chests. As if on cue, there was a hook with a rope tied around it that dropped from the surface of the ocean. Louis carefully hooked the chest into it and tugged the rope, then the chests were being pulled up. Louis grabbed Harry’s hand and held onto the rope as well and they were hoisted up the ocean.

When they reached the surface, both of them gasped for air, and Louis was coughing violently. The chests were bonded together with chains, like a caterpillar of treasure chests. They were pulled up to safety and the chests were retrieved.

Harry seemed to forget about Smee’s complete blindness about how the plan failed immensely. “Are you alright?” He demanded an answer as soon as they both climbed over the railing and stumbled on the ground, taking their time to breathe and appreciate the presence of oxygen in their lungs.

Louis didn’t answer him, only stood up and took one glance of the treasure before turning back around. He straightened his composure and fixed his coat to wrap it around himself even tighter even though it was wet with cold water. He walked off to the Quarters and shut the door behind him.

Harry panted, very in need of air. He didn’t quite understand, as usual. Why did they just leave Louis there? Only two merman attacked them, which wasn’t very significant. Only one plausible explanation. Harry had to see Louis’ neck.

“Did.. did you see how the water was cut in half? Like there was space between them.” Liam asked to confirm that he wasn’t hallucinating that scene.

Harry sighed, he didn’t quite understand it as well. “Give me a moment, Smee. We’ll answer you when we’ve dried off.” He promised, politely nodding at him as he followed after Louis in his room. On the way, he glanced at his arm and distinctly remembered that his skin was cut through by a sword. He blinked at the smooth spot, it was as if nothing happened. He shook the thought off, choosing to focus on the more important matters as he kept walking.

Smee just nodded along, going to the crew where they circled the four chests that were screwed shut and probably very hard to open.

Meanwhile, Harry walked down the stairs and met with Louis’ back facing towards him. They were both still soaking wet from the ocean’s cold water but Louis didn’t really mind wet floorboards.

Harry was about to speak, but the pirate beat him to it. “Why would you do that?” He mumbled, his body still turned away from him but his side profile was evident. “How.. how could you do that?” He questioned.

The Prince supposed that he didn’t have a clear answer for that specific question. The Lady of the Sea’s words echoed in his ears. No, not echoed. It rang, like a bloody bell. So loud, too loud, but necessary. Sentiment is a human error. “I.. I don’t know.”

“Do you even realize what you’ve done?” Louis’ voice was quite stern and intimidating. “Did you even know what you might’ve caused from what you did?” He talked do lowly.

His tone just made Harry feel ashamed, for no reason. He tried to save him, did he not? He really did try, was that not enough for Louis? Was that not enough to say that he meant something to the Prince?

When the pirate turned around to face him, Harry took the time to observe his features; unreadable as always. Louis was no walking towards him, hair still wet and they were both slightly shivering from the cold. It wasn’t until the man was a breath away, their eyes were locked.

Harry felt his shaky hand stop jittering when Louis reached up to cup his cheek. “I could’ve lost you.” Louis whispered in a way that it was almost inaudible. “Do you understand?” The pirate appeared to be scolding Harry, but at the same time, expressing something that he has never shown before. “Do you realize what could’ve happened if there were more of them down there with me? And you were on your own? Do you realize what outcome that could’ve given the world?” He held his head in place by having him by the cheek. “The world could’ve lost you, Harry. And it’ll be all because of me.”

His words only made Harry swallow the lump on his throat. He had no idea how to respond to that. The fear that he saw from under the water, it was for him. Not how the ocean split for their benefit. Louis feared that Harry might’ve lost his life.

This was real. No witty remark. No sarcastic comment. No eye-rolling. No impulsiveness. This was real, with Louis. Stripped away from his usual self. The one with all those walls up. This was the moment that Harry knocked on the door to his world, and Louis was twisting the doorknob with hesitancy.

The vulnerability behind Louis’ eyes grew stronger by the second. “I.. I can’t believe you did that. Risk your life for me. You.. you could’ve lost everything! How utterly half-witted can you be?” He tried so hard to build his walls up again by throwing an insult when he realized that from one look, Harry could walk right through them.

Harry’s eyes were soft. This was all he could ever want. Just the two of them in this room, no one else watching them or expecting them to act a certain way to please a party. Just them, in favor of the other and themselves. “You’re quite right, I could’ve lost everything.”

The pirate’s chest dropped from how the Prince casually said something that he has never heard anyone say to him ever. He wasn’t quite sure what to think about first.

All he could think of was leaning up to press his lips against Harry’s, cupping his cheek to draw him closer. He missed this. It’s been too long since he tasted his lips. It was a peck that lingered quite a while. An innocent kiss that made Louis hold onto him. It wasn’t passionate or anything remotely heated like before. It was just there to let the other know that there wasn’t anything they would do for the other. It was their version of a confession; one that didn’t need any words.

They both pulled away, Harry’s lower lip was quivering from the combination of cold wind and wet clothes. Louis noticed this and wrapped his hesitant arms around the boy, pulling him close to his chest. It was quiet between them, just holding onto each other.

“The waters split and gave way to air in our lungs. Why did that happen?” Harry softly asked, lips still tingling.

Louis stayed silent for a while. Maybe because of how his mind went blank from the way they both kissed. He shifted his mind to a different topic, by Harry’s request.

It was a confusing event, to watch the ocean part for their wellbeing. “I’ve never seen anything like that and I’ve seen a lot of strange happenings.” Maybe it was because Louis surrounded himself with dark magic more. “I highly believe that it has to do with your lightness. Along with the magic.” He muttered and just felt Harry’s hair tickle his face for a bit. It was a comforting yet odd thing. It was just hair, after all.

Harry chose not to expand on the conversation even though he grew curious about the whole light magic thing going on, in which he still could barely understand. He tried not to think about it too much and pushed his raging questions to the back of his head, deciding to focus on the matter at hand.

“I still don’t understand why she was so angry at you, yet never chose to kill you.” He made a face of distaste when he said the word ‘kill’. “She could literally just engulf us all with water. I mean, she has the power to do that, doesn’t she?”

Curiosity is a dangerous thing to have, not easily tamed but very satisfying to uplift. This is why Louis deemed it therapeutic to tell the truth to Harry, to satisfy the boy’s curiosity. “She does, and she could. But she won’t.” He said, looking at Harry and seeing him make a face as if to tell him to keep talking. “I told you; leverage. I know something she doesn’t.”

“Which is?”

Louis brushed the pad of his thumb against Harry’s skin, to where he could reach. “Her daughter. She’s on land with a protection spell. I gave it to her.” He told him. “The Lady of the Sea will never dare to hurt me. Not while her daughter is still out there, out of her radar. I’m the only one who knows where she might be.”

Harry let out a breath. “That’s.. that’s just brilliant.”

Louis chuckled, letting his lips form a smirk. “I know.”

“Everything really was planned.” The Prince looked at him with wide eyes.

The Captain just made a sound of uncertainty. “Sort of. I didn’t plan to actually die, or for you to almost die, but everything else went smoothly; drown and come back with four chests.”

A low giggle escaped Harry’s mouth. It wasn’t decent that he found the situation amusing, but it bloody could be, if the one who started it was Louis Tomlinson. Hook felt the Prince’s hands on the wet fabric covering his chest, the soft touch only made Louis lean forward to press their forehead together, eyes falling shut. “The necklace is gone.”

“Hm? Oh, that old thing. Don’t worry about it right now.” He grumbled, shaking his head. He was too distracted by the way the Prince’s slender fingers brushed against his chest through the wet material to find any solid lump that would’ve informed him of the shell’s presence.

“You gave away that necklace in exchange for treasure?” Harry leaned back to look at him. “Seems like an unfair deal.”

A smile found its way to Louis’ face. “One thing you need to know about pirates, Charming.” He let the boy go, dropping his arms to his side and walking to his shelf. He took a small dusty box and walked in front of Harry, a glint in his eyes. “We’re all very sentimental.” He said with a smile and opened the box, showing the seashell necklace looking untouched and very much still in his possession.

Harry’s mouth parted, surprised as he reached into the box and touched the cold shell. Sentimental, was that a double meaning? He didn’t think of it too much as he let out a breathy laugh. “You.. you were wearing a fake one all this time? Even when you showed me?” He asked, very happy as he looked to the pirate.

Louis let out a soft snicker. “I was wearing the real one when I showed you.” He put the lid back into the box and casually passed it onto Harry. “Here,”

The Prince’s brows knotted together. “Here what? Do you want me to put it away somewhere?” He asked, taking the small box from Louis who just formed furrows on his forehead as he frowned.

“What? No, I’d like for you to have it.” Louis looked at the box, hand resting on his hip as he wiped the side of his nose. Their clothes were still damp from the ocean.

Harry gaped at him. “What..” he trailed off, looking at him in surprise. “Louis,”

“Of course, I’d like you to have it for safe-keeping. I wouldn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. You’re allowed to wear it, but you must hide it under your shirt at all times. The lace is unbreakable, made with magic. It won’t snap off, so you don’t need to worry about that-”

“No, no, Louis.” He tried stopping him from rambling, pointing at the small box with a dumbfounded expression. “You.. you want me to have this? The necklace?”

Louis found a trace of confusion and worry etch onto Harry’s face. “Aren’t you pleased? I thought I’ve already told you that I have put my trust in you.”

 _Oh, Louis. So intelligent yet so oblivious of some things_. Harry thought to himself. “This is very.. this is quite..” He trailed off, not knowing what to say while he was slowly nodding along.

The pirate just looked at him oddly. “What?”

It was a surprise that Harry wrapped his arms around Louis’ neck and pulled him close, buying his nose into the crook of Louis’ neck. Louis was taken aback, but put his hand on the base of Harry’s back and was careful not to involve his hook into the embrace.

Harry’s voice was shaky, so deeply touched by Louis’ gesture. “I have no idea what to say.” He muttered into Louis’ collarbone.

The pirate wasn’t quite used to these kind of contact. Sure, people have touched him in intimate ways before. But holding someone this way while they hold them, it was quite overwhelming. Everything about Harry’s tight embraces were so overwhelming.

“So it seems.” Louis made use of the situation to memorize the boy’s scent, growing drunk with how nice he smelled so differently despite Harry wearing Louis’ clothes.

When the boy pulled away, he looked at Louis with a bright smile. “Thank you, for trusting me enough.” He said, voice quiet.

Louis struggled quite a bit and just looked away. “You’re, uh, welcome. I guess.” He gave him a quick nod, letting him go and settling his arms behind his own back.

“But.. they might figure out that the one they have is fake.” He told Louis.

“I doubt it. The necklace has never been activated and the merfolk can’t access its magic. It would just be any other shell for them. The lace was given to me, it wasn’t part of the shell.” He assured Harry. “They can move to different realms anyway, it’s not like they’ll be needing the it.”

The boy nodded, feeling a little bit relieved by his words. Harry didn’t seem to mind as he opened the box and tied the necklace around his neck himself. He was never one to wear jewelry unlike other Royals in the castle. The Prince deemed them as too heavy. Difficult to walk with real diamonds and gold around necks and wrists.

But this one, this one type of necklace was somehow holding such a sentimental aspect for Harry now. Maybe because Louis was the one who gave it to him. The thought only made his heart skyrocket, like how he read in the books. It was quite different, though. Better than he imagined.

The pirate had a sudden surge of happiness upon seeing the necklace around Harry’s pale neck. He didn’t quite understand it. What kind of person becomes happy about giving away something very important for the sake of safe-keeping? It felt very odd, but he realized how his own lips curled up into a small smile while he looked at the boy gleaming with pure happiness. Louis didn’t understand, but for the first time, he didn’t mind not knowing.

For the next few days, it was fairly easy for both of them to get along. They never really get to talk about the kiss they shared after they got back to their safe space. But, oddly enough, Louis seemed to be having the distinct urge to keep close with Harry.

And he did.

Oddly enough, he didn’t care what others would think. Not that others would try to comment at it, they were all under Louis’ thumb. They didn’t mind.

They were on their way to Rumpelstiltskin’s palace, just as promised. The crew decided to throw a party in favor of finding the treasure, the four chests filled with treasure. Captain Hook and his crew will certainly be the talk of the town.

Honestly, Harry felt like he should be terrified of reaching the palace, but he was only saddened by the thought of leaving the Jolly Roger.

The sound of flute and makeshift drums filled the air at night. All the men were yelling and having a singsong whilst dancing. It was like the celebration of King Midas’ fall — Harry still blushes at the memory. It took them a few days to celebrate since their Captain needed his rest — he was insufferable, always complaining and wanting to go back to work even after being almost strangled and drowned to death.

The Prince’s face was flushed red from the enthusiasm and out-of-breathiness. He played the flute for them, and since it’s the only musical instrument that they have, it’s all he could play for them. He watched them dance and sing with their deep voices and the eccentricity radiated from their bodies.

Louis watched him from a distance, a flask in his hand and an absentminded smile. It was quite a sight, just seeing him happy like that. Harry’s happiness gave him a such a natural high, it made him wonder if he even needed the rum in his hand.

“Things are going well, I assume?” He heard Liam’s voice from next to him. “Are we expecting a happy announcement by the end of the week?” He teased.

And that ruined the mood. Louis scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Mr. Smee.” He said.

Liam just grinned at him. “Don’t pretend you don’t like it.”

“Like what?”

“Having someone.” Liam flicked his head towards Harry’s direction, who was just dancing around with a happy laugh that gave Louis goosebumps. He didn’t mind.

Louis had no idea how to reply to that. “Harry is his own person. I don’t have him and I certainly don’t own him.” He simply said. “Things between us are.. mundane.”

“Mundane?” Liam let out a snort and just shook his head. “You should just go for it, Louis. Don’t hold back. I can assure you, Harry’s just waiting.” He said.

As if Louis didn’t already know that. For the past few days, Harry’s never been opposed to how Louis would sometimes touch his arm or ask for him to come closer. The Prince would only put his hand on the pirate’s knee to squeeze it, letting him know that he’s there. Not to mention how frequent Harry touches the pendant around his neck, from Louis’ observation. It was obvious that Harry wanted things to progress, it wasn’t like he was hiding it. But, the thing with Harry is that he didn’t mind waiting. From Louis’ experience, it was either the relationship or the ship and crew. At the end, Louis favored being a pirate.

Unlike the people from the past, Harry never gave him two choices. The boy just let Louis decide for himself, even if that meant waiting.

He didn’t say anything else to Liam and just sealed his flask with its cap again, tucking it into the inside pocket of his coat. He watched Harry be spun around by one of the men, the laugh dissolving into the wide space of air. Louis shrugged his coat off and revealed his tight long sleeved white shirt, laying his coat into the waiting hands of Liam before he walked down the steps. He was a few steps away when Harry realized he was walking towards him.

The boy’s eyes lit up and he stopped dancing. The man saw his Captain and just grinned, giving Captain Hook a nod and letting Harry go. The boy was suddenly clueless on what to do now that Louis was standing in front of him, lacking his usual coat and only wore a collared white shirt tucked into his black pants.

“Thank you.” He told Harry. “This celebration is for you, Charming.” He looked around and just heard the flute being played once again by another person. Maybe just to avoid looking at Harry’s green eyes.

“For me?” The surprise was evident in his voice.

“Yes, we wouldn’t have found the treasure if it wasn’t for you. Quite delightful, really. You’ve made my men glad.” He told him.

Harry let out a laugh, looking down. “I’m glad I helped, but it was obviously a teamwork.”

Louis pressed his lips together, not knowing how to continue the conversation. From the distance, Liam was rolling his eyes.

The Prince just looked at him, not with expectant eyes, but with caring ones. Ones that made him feel comfortable. Unlike other people, most of them would repel Louis. “Everyone,” Louis held out his hand and one of the men gave him a glass of whiskey this time. “I’d like you all to raise your glasses to our..” he paused. “..new Quartermaster. I don’t apologize often, but I am doing so for trying to kill you the first time we’ve met.” Louis shrugged and the other men let out a loud round of laughter.

It wasn’t like any toasts that Harry experienced. In the kingdom, people usually would say a short speech and clink their champagne or goblets together. In the ship, they mock the thought in an amusing way and holler with laughter right in the middle. And no one would mind.

Harry’s face was flushed red. He’s never been addressed as a Quartermaster and he never felt so welcome in their ship. All the people here used to really dislike him and mistreat him, but now, they’re all less than that.

“So raise your glasses to him. Your Quartermaster,” _My Charming_. “To Harry.” Louis raised his glass and was pretty much used to the loud booming voices of men much older than him within the ship.

They all cheered and bumped beers together, some spilling over and they drank quite fast. Some alcohol spilling from the seams and dripping down their faces but none of them even bothered to prevent all that. Harry grinned to himself, thinking about what Louis said about him and decided to have a sip of their rum. He felt so flattered by his words and his heart warmed by the way the Captain looked at him.

Louis just nodded. “Alright. Well, proceed with the dancing and music, I’ll be in my quarters.”

From his request, the other men didn’t hesitate to play louder, but Harry’s smile faded just a bit. “You’re not going to join us?” He asked and fiddled with his thumbs.

The pirate inhaled, filling his lungs with fresh air of the sea. “Not tonight. Same party every sundown, but I’ll let you all have your fun.” He tightly grinned and just gave him a curt nod. Louis walked past Harry and just felt himself face palm and sigh in a frustrated manner.

Harry frowned, but he painted on a smile when he was called to dance a very enthusiastic number. He tried his best to enjoy his night but it felt difficult without the one who really thanked him.

“What the hell are you doing?” Smee went to his side and walked with him in a such a quick manner.

Louis rolled his eyes. He had no idea why Liam was meddling with his life. It was such an annoying action that the Captain found himself groaning. “What is it now, Smee?”

“You’re leaving the party that you specifically arranged for him. He isn’t even aware of it!” He kept his voice down, accent thick and laced with annoyance.

Louis stopped in front of his door and smiled tightly at Liam, snatching his coat from his arms. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep out of my business for a while, Smee. It’s getting quite unnerving by now. Let me be.” He grinned sarcastically and dropped it after a second, showing him a glare and going inside the room before closing it immediately.

Smee only let out a sigh, closing his eyes and rubbing the skin between his brows. It frustrated him how Louis got everything he could ever have wanted, but for the one time that one thing he needed was right in front of his face, he refused to reach out.

Harry excused himself and let out a cough. He rubbed his hands for warmth and looked out into the sea. The music clouded over in his mind, sounding very muffled as he focused on the water. It was no denying that his light magic was suddenly appearing and Harry wasn’t stupid, he knew that it only appeared when he willed something to happen. When he desperately needed it to happen. In his case, the desperation of filling Louis’ lungs with air. Any magic is connected to emotions, and Harry knew that. What he can’t figure out is how effortless it was to part the oceans for Louis. He would think that using magic would be draining but it empowered him. It gave such effulgence in his mind and body. Harry couldn’t wait to study it and have the right amount of control to use it according to his plan.

Staring at the moon’s reflection on the water reminded him of Louis somehow. The thought of the man only made his mind race. Louis was absolutely brilliant, Harry couldn’t say it enough. The way he carried himself during that conversation with the Lady of the Sea. It felt so easy for the pirate to taunt and mock others. He thought of how Louis’ father was mentioned during that interaction. Everything Harry knew about Louis was a lot, but still limited. The man only mentioned his father once or twice with the wolf attack story and that was all. Harry could still remember the way Louis’ shoulders dropped at the mention of him. He didn’t see how his face looked since Louis had his back turned on him at the time, but from his body language alone; his father was made into a great deal, a very curious topic to ask about. He wanted to ask Louis how the Lady of the Sea could possibly know about his father, but it felt like it was a serious topic that Louis would rather avoid.

He spoke about his father with such vigor, it was as if he despised the man. It only highlighted the difference between them, Harry could never think of hating his own father or talk about him in a way Louis had done.

When the night proceeded and some of the men were passed out from drunken habits on the deck, Harry decided to leave and go back to Louis’ — _their?_ — room. He saw Louis sitting on the ground with his eyes closed. His legs were crossed and it seemed like he was concentrating on something.

Harry has seen him do this multiple times. Louis claimed that it’s how he connected with the sea, just quietly keeping to himself and focusing on how the waves swayed the ship. Harry noticed that the man was still wearing the shirt he wore earlier during the celebration, which means that he’s been this way for hours.

“I thought you went to sleep.” Harry closed the door softly behind him, careful not to disturb his meditation. Louis claimed that it’s not a ‘meditation’, rather it’s just something he ‘does’.

Louis didn’t bother opening his eyes. “Can’t think when I’m asleep.” He muttered. “Dreams bore me.”

The Prince let out a laugh, shrugging off his jacket and glancing at Louis. “You should get some rest, it’s very late. You need to be up early tomorrow.” Harry mentioned.

“I’ve been resting for quite a few days now. Frankly, I don’t feel the need to be half dead.” Louis finally opened his eyes and let out a sigh, slouching his back. “I need a cup of tea.” He said, not looking up at Harry as he stood up and walked past him.

“Okay, anything else you’d like?” Harry took Louis’ cup and saucer from the table and wiped the inside with a cloth.

“Carrots.”

Harry paused and slowly nodded. “Alright. Need something else?” He looked up at Louis who was now sat on his chair.

The pirate was already looking at him with a thoughtful look. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again and had a confused expression on his face. His stare was becoming intense that Harry could feel as if his own clothes were slowly burning off and Louis could see right through him.

The Prince shifted his weight from one foot to another. “Are you alright?”

“Three days, and you haven’t uttered a word about what happened.” Louis said, leaning back on his seat and crossing his arms, his biceps bulging at the movement.

Harry forced himself not to get distracted by his figure. “If there’s something you’d like to talk about, then.. by all means, speak up.” He softly said, not really knowing which event three days ago the pirate was referring to.

“I know you have questions, Harry. You always do.” He said, giving him a pointed look, his hook lying under his chin.

“And I know that you’ll answer them when you’re ready, not with me prying you to open up.” He added. “I’ll be right back with your tea and some.. carrots.” He let out a soft chuckle at the odd combination, but turned to leave nevertheless.

Louis was left alone to think to himself, which was dangerous enough.

_You’re just like your father._

Those words echoed in his mind like the plague. His fist clenched and he was so ready to thrash his room again in anger, but upon seeing Harry look so calm after almost dying, he didn’t want him to see that. He released his grip around his own fist and let out a shaky sigh. The Lady of the Sea was absolutely full of lies. She only said that to rile him up and make him go violent. She used his own sentimentality against him and that event was the one making him be so unsure about whether or not he should try something out with Harry. It was difficult to decide. Becoming sentimental was a mistake that Louis wished he could undo, but it was a part of him. It’s unclear whether or not he’s sure of letting his sentimentality get the best of him.

When Harry came back with a cup of tea and two carrots tied together by their stems, Louis was just sitting at the edge of his bed looking through the sketches that Harry did. The Prince saw what he was doing and he felt heat creep up his neck and onto his face. It was cold so he doubted that it was noticeable by the pirate.

He set down Louis’ tea and carrots on the table as the sound of papers shuffling against each other filled the air. “What are you doing?” He thoughtfully asked.

“All your drawings are somewhat connected to the ship.” Louis said and made Harry peer over to see the drawings of compasses, scrolls, anchors, a hook — although, Louis put that to the side as if he’s saving that — and the outermost figure of the ship. “Except this one.” He showed his the paper where he drew the apple tree he had back at the castle.

“Oh,” Harry let out a laugh. “That’s just the apple tree from my garden.”

Louis glanced at him once before looking back at the sketch. “I thought you hated that place.”

“I don’t hate the palace, I just don’t think I’m safe there anymore.” He said.

“Why is this so important for you, then?”

Harry blinked at him. The man was asking questions about his life as if he didn’t know enough already. It was quite amusing to say the least, but Harry just brushed the thought off. “My mother and I planted it when I was young. It was the first thing I planted. Reminds of her and our limited time together.” He told Louis, who listened quietly and unknowingly was tracing the pencil marks on the paper. “It’s the same tree my stepmother poisoned me with. Quite ironic, don’t you think? Now I can’t remember anything after she did.” He told Louis. “I’m not even sure if I actually killed my own father,” he tried to just chuckle it off but it was difficult to do so. “Maybe the sketch is just a reminder. Some things aren’t easily attained.”

The pirate just nodded. “It is what it is.” He muttered. “Why do you keep drawing things related to the ship?” He looked through them before taking the cup of tea from the table and having a sip.

“Well, either I was extremely inspired or immensely drowning in boredom.”

His answer drew a laugh from Louis, the usual crinkles by his eyes and how his eyes turned into small slits appeared. The sight alone could make Harry’s whole body weak, but he was maintaining his strength and only smiled a bit.

“So, Quartermaster, huh? Thought pirates don’t have Quartermasters.” Harry smiled a bit.

Louis let out a scoff, playful. “Where the hell was I supposed to appoint you then?” Hook just tried to discreetly cover his smiling mouth with his mouth and looked away from Harry as he released a long sigh. “And I suppose I should be flattered,” he said and Harry’s face almost twisted with bemusement but a blush only appeared as Louis held up the drawing of his hook attached to an unfinished arm.

“Oh, I was just trying things out,” he stammered. “Might need some more work too.” Harry shyly pointed out.

“Yes, but it’s all fine. I like it.”

“Really?”

“Of course, Charming. How could I not?”

Silence engulfed the room as Louis just sipped his tea and took a bite off a carrot afterwards. Harry wondered what that would taste like.

The Prince cleared his throat between the momentary silence. “The Lady of the Sea, then?”

“Yes?” Louis pressed, it was as if he was relieved that the Prince was asking his questions again. It felt awfully different when he just stayed silent.

“She’s real?”

Louis snorted. “‘Course, she’s real. She almost drowned me. Then you. She definitely felt tangible.” He shifted in his seat. “She’s the mother of the mermaid who gave me that.” He nodded at the shell necklace around Harry’s neck, which made the boy’s hand travel upwards and touch the small but hard surface. “She’s also the mother of a hundred others. Ariel just so happened to be the youngest and her favorite child.”

“That really happens? Parents having a favorite?”

Louis raised his brows and looked away. “Happens more than you think.” He raised the cup to his lips to sip more.

At the mention of parents, Harry remembered something else. “The Lady.. she mentioned something about your father.” He slowly said and immediately panicked inside when Louis froze and set down his tea. “I mean, you don’t have to talk about it—”

“She only said it to taunt me. I let myself be led on and let her get the best of me.” He tapped his hook against the table in a quiet and anxious manner. “My father.. well, let’s just say that he isn’t a good person.” He said. “I used to believe he is not all bad, but the amount of times he has proven me wrong is just outrageous.”

 _Is, has; his father is still alive_. Harry chose not to put too much thought into it. “How do you say that?”

“Because, Charming, he isn’t like your father.” He told him, looking into his eyes. “He isn’t beloved by a whole kingdom and he certainly never loved his own wife and children. In fact, everyone despises him. It’s not very surprising for strangers to dislike him especially if his own child does.” He huffed. “You’ll probably hate him as well.”

“I don’t think I’m capable of possessing hate towards someone, no matter what they do.” Harry muttered. He wasn’t sure if he should ask what his father had done, but seeing as Louis seemed stressed, he thought it best if he shifted the topic. It was odd though, he spoke about his father with a sharp tongue. Almost as if he really did hate him.

He really wanted to talk about that little kiss they shared, but from Louis’ context, it hadn’t felt right to talk about things like romance.

“Perhaps you’re not.” Louis mumbled, finishing his cup of tea and kept quiet again. He was well-aware of the tension building up between them. Louis just wanted to reach over and hold Harry close to his body again. He hasn’t stopped thinking about that night when Harry risked his life to save him, it really opened his eyes to see the truth. Everything will be gone from a blink of an eye, before Louis could even be aware of it. It’ll be gone forever.

Harry took the small fork from the shelves and staring to comb his hair. He sometimes does it absentmindedly, quite used to how things went inside the palace where he groomed himself. Louis found it endearing, it was relaxing to watch him in silence, just raising his arms and running the fork through his hair. Most people would find it odd, but to Louis, it was wonderful. He knew that something was slowly changing inside him, since he didn’t feel like he minded feeling the way he does. Usually, he’d do anything to prevent himself from having these types of feelings. For a long time, he believed that feelings are abhorrent to him. It felt unnecessary and messy, a waste of his time. Then, Harry decided to exist. No, he didn’t decide, he just happened to be alive and became a living and breathing proof that all of what Louis was thinking, feeling and even fighting for were all valid.

Louis smacked his lips together to capture Harry’s attention. “It’s been brought to my attention that you’re just.. waiting for me.”

The Prince looked away and sighed. “Louis, I know—”

“No, let me finish.” He interrupted and realized that it may have sounded a bit rude. “Please.” He said and stood up before he motioned towards the chair, telling to sit down.

Harry just slowly nodded, a soft expression on his face as he took a seat and folded his hands together. He looked at Louis in a way where he wasn’t expecting anything big, but was preparing himself.

The pirate looked nervous as well, it was a bit amusing but Harry wasn’t sure what to make out of it. Why was he nervous? He was about to reject Harry again, why would he act like it was so hard to do?

Hook just swiped his tongue across his own bottom lip and tried to think about what to say. “Things like these are.. difficult for me to say. I don’t know why but it just is.” He clarified. “I’m still very pissed off at the fact that you almost sacrificed your life to save mine. I wasn’t pleased to find out that you never knew how to swim.” He continued and started to walk slowly, it seemed as though he was pacing but in a calm way. Very odd in the context of their situation but Harry was making do. “I’m nobody for you to just throw your whole life away for, Harry. You should bloody know that.”

Harry frowned and opening his mouth to say something, but he wanted Louis to get everything off his chest.

“Your people need you. Belle needs you. You can’t just ignore all that just because of one insignificant life such as mine.” Louis’ intense gaze burned against Harry’s eyes.

It was the first time Harry heard the pirate talk down about himself. He always claimed to be the necessary arrogance in the world, but he never did show any hint of low self-esteem. He never deliberately stated anything close to insecurity, not to Harry. Which was why he felt surprised upon hearing the words come from his mouth.

“What, you don’t think anyone needs you?” Harry scoffed, lips curling up into a faint smile.

“I’m a pirate, Harry. We live, go on journeys and die.” Louis bluntly said. “First mates exist for a reason. I’m replaceable.” He admitted as if it were the truth.

The Prince just looked at him in disbelief. “How dare you treat your existence as inferior?” He said in barely a whisper. “Your life is just as important as everyone else. It just so happened that you became a priority to me.” Harry told him, looking up at his face with astonishment. He could not believe that Louis thought he could be easily replaced. “You’re known as Captain Hook, nobody else will ever be like you.”

“That’s exactly my point, Harry. I’m Captain Hook.” Louis tried his best to not be frustrated at himself right in front of the boy. “You have no idea what I’ve done.”

It was the time Harry decided to stand on his feet and walk towards Louis, keeping distance but finally at level with him. “Being known as someone is different from being who you really are. How people look at you doesn’t necessarily have to be related to how you look at yourself, Louis.” He softly said to him.

From his words, the pirate looked at him with those blue eyes that reminded him of the ocean and sky colliding with one another. They were filled with fear, anxiety and sadness, it worried Harry as to what he might be thinking. “I’m just here to warn you.”

“Warn me about what?” He whispered.

Louis closed his eyes, voice shaking. It was as if he was preventing himself not to break. “That if you.. stay with me, I won’t be able to promise you a perfect time. I can’t promise to not be difficult. I can’t promise to not argue with you. I can’t promise to not be angry easily and I can’t promise to always know what I’m doing.” He opened his eyes in the middle of his little speech, looking to his left and down to the ground to avoid looking at Harry.

The Prince could see how difficult it was for him to express himself this way. Harry was too, considering this was both their first time experiencing emotions as strong as these.

“But what I can do is that I’ll be there until you tell me not to be.” Louis now looked at him in the eyes again. “I can learn and figure things out. I just.. I can’t give you everything you’re expecting me to give.” Now, Harry recalled those similar words. “I’m not a Prince, I don’t own a land and the only kingdom I treat as mine is my ship. I’m not going to whisk you way on a high horse onto happily ever after. Isn’t that what Princes do? If so, I’m not one of them. I can’t give you any of that.”

Silence dawned over them again and Louis was now waiting for Harry’s response. He’d understand if it was all too much for Harry, it was the same for him. He wouldn’t blame the Prince if he rejected him there and then.

But to Hook’s surprise, a smile formed on Harry’s face and he just let out a chuckle. He furrowed his brows. “What’s so funny?”

Harry’s laughter died down. How dare he laugh at his most vulnerable state? Louis almost rolled his eyes and walked away, but he was completely serious right now and must’ve looked incredibly stupid while staring at the Prince with a puzzled expression.

“I am charmed to know that you stereotype me with other Princes just because I am one.” Harry said with an amused grin, his words seemed very familiar from the early days of their meeting. “For an intelligent pirate, you can be a bit thick sometimes.” The boy sighed in wonder, staring at the pirate with those doe eyes and a mess of curls upon his head. “Do you really take me as the person who wants to have an ending that’s already happened before? A recycled plot?”

Louis wasn’t exactly sure where he was going with this, but he stood still as the boy neared him. He felt Harry reach up and fix the collar of his shirt thoughtfully. “I don’t know. Are you?”

Harry gave him a soft smile, dimples engraving on his lower cheeks. “Of course not. I want my story to be something nobody has written before. Someone no one will write, except for me. I want to take risks and not have my path end with not only romance, but also satisfaction. Happiness.” He reached up and cupped Louis’ cheek, making his eyes flutter at the contact of Harry’s smooth and pale palm. “We don’t have to call the each other as anything, nor do we have to decide which one of us is the Prince or Princess, the pirate or the damsel in distress, or any of those nonsensical labels. I can just be..” he thought about it for a moment. “Your Charming.”

Louis blinked at him, not knowing how to respond to that other than whispering the words to himself. “My.. Harry.”

There was something about the possessive term of endearment that made Louis feel empowered yet grounded. _His Harry_. He could feel his heart pumping through his veins, the faint ringing in his ears and the ocean holding him. _His Harry_. Louis couldn’t explain what effect those simple words had on him. Words are such selfish things, too many meanings, and so simple letters. Difficult to comprehend, especially those sequence of words. _His Harry_.

His reaction just made Harry chuckle. “Yes, I’m your Harry.” He nodded. “That’s right.” He whispered, leaning his face closer to Louis’, not daring to look away from his eyes.

It fitted. And Louis just blinked rapidly at Harry, not really believing what was happening. He reached up and touched the ends of Harry’s curls, memorizing how soft they felt between the tip of his fingers. “How could you possibly settle for me?” He asked, still overwhelmed with everything he heard the Prince said to him.

Harry shrugged. “I used to be a very uptight person. Maybe I still am, I’ve not the faintest. But I can tell you that you’ve taught me so many things that I can never learn anywhere else inside where I came from.” He said. “And someone did tell me to take risks. It’ll make my life worthwhile.” He finished with a grin.

“You don’t even know what I’ve done.”

The pirate didn’t want his shaky voice to be so obvious. He has never been afraid of someone leaving before. Not even with Liam, he doesn’t need to fear that. But when it came to Harry, the pirate almost loathed the fact that he was leaving. That he will have to face all those horrible people alone. Louis can’t possibly come with him and fight, the risk is too high a price. Even for his standards. He felt the urge to just ask him to stay and never leave again. A voice told him that this was a big mistake. He couldn’t care less if he was the one who made the mistake, but Harry.. he never wanted the boy to regret him.

Harry just had this look on his face, telling him that he’s got it all wrong. It made Louis feel as if he wasn’t Captain Hook anymore, like he was just.. Louis. “There is nothing that you can say to me that will change how I feel about you.” The Prince’s voice was soft and the sound of it just weakened him. “I’m here, okay?”

His words should’ve made Louis happy. And it did, but the thought of all this just disappearing all of a sudden, it didn’t settle well with him. “You won’t be soon. You’re leaving to go to your friend.”

“And I’ll make sure that every moment here will be worth it.” Harry grinned. “Because, Louis, it is.”

The pirate can’t go with him to the Dark One. He can’t face him, not again. Louis may never admit it, but facing Rumpelstiltskin again would be too much too handle.

 _Not even for Harry?_ He felt his own subconscious question him. Louis hated how he was surrendering all of a sudden to all the things that Harry was offering him. Everything about Harry is making his walls become translucent; still there, but he was exposed.

 _Especially not for him, not for him, not for him, not for him._ It was difficult to convince a mind that has already made its choice.

A hint of a smile found its way to his face, yet still appeared uncertain. Louis doubted that this will last. The amount of time they had was short, and Louis doesn’t even know if this, whatever this was, could go beyond the time Harry will finally set foot on land again. He didn’t want to get his hopes up but what did he ever have to lose?

_Everything._

But will it be worth it? To be with this person? Someone who accepted him no matter who he was, or what he might’ve done in the past?

_Absolutely._

The pirate had a ghost of a smile upon his lips. “Yes,” he pressed his lips together. “I suppose it is.” He leaned towards him and finally found his mouth, pressing a kiss on him to be closer. It was as if Harry’s mind went temporarily blank and just let his body take over, sliding his arms up Louis’ chest and around his neck.

Louis held him by the waist. It was the first time he wished that he had both his hands just so he could hold Harry the way he deserved to be held. The Prince wished that time could stop and grant him one last wish; to be like this forever and never be reversed. Having the pirate hold him in his arms and kiss him deeply was something he would’ve thought was ridiculous if someone warned him on the first day he arrived on the ship.

That was how they started. Slow, yet passionate. Their time is limited, but they’ll make it work. Louis needs to figure out his next plan and Harry needs to figure out what he’ll be doing. And yet, they still found each other and reserve time for one another.

There was no need for any labels to limit their position in each other’s lives. They were just simply _His Harry_ , and _His Louis_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you'd like :) let me know your thoughts so far.  
> thank you for reading


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: the treasure was within a mermaid shelter. louis comes up with an elaborate plan to retrieve the treasure. captain hook and the lady of the sea meet once again. lady athena recognizes the prince and informed him of something dark was coming. the lady tried to prove a point by almost drowning the captain, and the prince saved him out of sentiment. from harry's actions, louis realized that he never wanted the boy to ever risk his life for a pirate like him ever again. they get the treasure and at the same time, the prince and the pirate found their own.

_“I will not let my child’s life be dictated by some... some Royal requirements!”_

_An eight-year-old Harry peeked into the keyhole of his mother and father’s wide and majestic room, trying not to get caught. He remembered the scent of candles burning, the way the floor creaked as he walked and how his friend, Belle, was shushing him._

_“What do you think they’re talking about?” He whispered, seeing how her mother was yelling words with really deep meanings that he could barely comprehend._

_The Queen was clearly upset and the King was just calmly speaking to her. Harry didn’t quite understand what distressed her, but it was probably very serious considering her tone and body language. He didn’t really know that it was going to have a huge impact to his life. It was never really a concern as to why it involved him, Harry just felt sad upon seeing how his mother acted. As a young child, Harry only just played with his best friend._

_Belle scrunched her nose, pushing him slightly to look into the keyhole herself. “No idea. Are they fighting?” She asked him._

_“Obviously, but what about?” He asked her back._

_The little brown haired girl was shaking her head. “We mustn’t eavesdrop on them, Harry. Come out and play with me,” she tugged on his arm and whined quietly, looking around in case the guards from earlier decide to come back._

_The boy pursed his lips and nodded. They both sneaked outside, the snow was fluttering around them. Belle’s laughter dissolved into the wide space of the garden. Her hair had specks of white snow, clinging to the strands and made her look absolutely ethereal. Her smile was wide as she balled a pile of snow into her gloved palms. There were a few guards, sophisticated women, and servants nearby to watch over them, but the two friends grew used to it whilst growing up._

_The Prince and the little girl always liked to play. Harry never really had friends outside of the castle, unlike Belle. A social butterfly. She was allowed to go outside whenever she wanted, Harry was declared to be in danger even from putting his shoe beyond the gates. He rarely left the castle, which was mostly the reason why he felt sad whenever Belle left with her family to visit another kingdom. He wouldn’t have anyone to talk to other than his mother._

_He and his father weren’t the closest, but he had so much respect for him from such a young age. The King was mostly busy with his duties and rarely had any time for his son. Queen Anne was there to comfort him though, to make him understand that his father was busy man._

_Belle and Harry’s friendship started when Belle’s mother introduced the two of them the day her family moved to live within the palace. Belle was a shy girl who was fond of books and playing, just like Harry. The Prince was mostly fond of science textbooks and academic books. Belle and the Queen were the ones who introduced him to storybooks. Harry instantly fell in love with them._

_He was still thinking of his mother, but was immediately distracted when a snowball hit his right shoulder and caused him to go unbalanced. The little Prince stumbled backwards and landed on his bum into the snow. Belle giggled and balled another pile of snow to throw at him._

_Belle has always been his best friend. She had a special place in his heart that he can never remove, from the very first day they met. She was there for him, no matter what. That’s why he had such an attachment to her. Most of the people in the palace thought that they’d probably get married someday, even though they were still children. It was odd, yes, but that was how Royalty worked._

_A smile found its way to his face as he let out a playful growl, chasing her around the garden. They both ran around the apple tree and all of a sudden, the Prince falls down and scrapes his knee._

Harry’s fingers brushed against his knee; there was a mark that used to be there, already vanished years ago. When he was a kid, he hated it whenever he fell and hurt himself. Now, he just looks back and reminisces upon the memories of his childhood.

It’s been two days since he and Louis had the talk. Things were back to normal. As normal as it got for Louis, that is. The day after they talked about their relationship, Louis walked through the ship with a tall King’s crown found inside one of the big chests of Reaper. Harry doubled over in laughter as Louis casually appeared with a crown over his head. He even commented that he was in need of a scepter. That was as normal as it could have gotten.

The Prince was comfortable with Louis. It was no secret that the two of them had something going on. The crew may be quite timid compared to Louis’ mind, but they certainly were not blind. The two weren’t exactly discreet with their looks and words, Harry mostly blamed it on Louis. And the next best thing was that almost none of the crew actually cared. Typical, they could care less of how their Captain spends his time. One or two may have had a problem with it, but the rest of them didn’t care. As for Louis, he lived up to his word and took a risk to make his time worthwhile. He honestly didn’t care about what they thought.

Ever since the encounter with the Lady of the Sea, Harry has been very cautious of his actions. She mentioned how something big was coming, or something with that manner. He wondered what she meant by that, he never really put some thought into all she said. But she was completely aware of why the Queen was after him.

As for his situation with going to the Dark One’s castle, he’s been training himself with a sword. _As if that would help_. He probably might start a war, but what could Belle be of any use to him? He would never mean that to offend anyone, but she was just an ordinary human, the Dark One can find someone else to bother. Maybe Rumpelstiltskin would let her go, but he highly doubted it. He’ll be risking his life and freedom by facing Rumpelstiltskin.

Harry thought of proposing another deal with him, in exchange of Belle. But he knew what his deals were like, everything came with a price that will never been mentioned until needed. He didn’t want the price to be paid by Belle. If he could, he’d rather pay any price in exchange of her freedom. The sword training was only a backup plan. There must be something the Dark One wants from Harry; maybe he can use that to get Belle back.

“You seem stressed.” Harry turned around in surprise and was met with Louis, panting for breath as his tousled hair created a mess on his head.

His out of breathiness hinted lifting heavy objects and moving them from place to place. Sweat matted his hair on his forehead, and his chest heaved for air. Louis looked so drained yet he still managed to look so good that it made the Prince blush. It was hard to believe that they had come to terms to how they stand in each other’s lives; Harry could hardly believe that this man was his Louis.

Harry looked away and just let out a laugh. “I’m fine.”

“It wasn’t a question.”

The Prince bit his lip and titled his head, thinking to himself. “Wasn’t it? Can’t really tell from your tone.” He mumbled with a smile that he was trying to hold back.

Louis huffed and took his towel to have a shower. On the way to the bathroom, Harry passed him and left a kiss on his cheek so casually. Louis leaned back in surprise, looking back at him with astonishment in his eyes. The Prince didn’t see his face since he walked past the man to go to the other side of the room, but he knew that Louis was slightly frozen in bafflement. It was amusing to still see Louis act so taken whenever Harry displays his affections. Even the smallest touches, Louis would stare at him confusingly but never made a move to stop him.

Louis cleared his throat and just smiled at him, telling him that he was sweaty and as much as he would love to return the favor, he didn’t want to ruin Harry’s lovely scent— _although, he didn’t say the last bit_. He’d much rather take his fragrance in while being clean himself. Harry watched him walk to the shower and close the door behind him. He was left alone with his thoughts yet again as he made his way to the ground to cross his legs. He was sat in front of a candle and was trying his best to light it up. He never read any books about light or black magic, the Library never had anything about any of those. Or maybe it did, Harry just didn’t find it. Probably hidden from his reach.

He wondered how it started. Did his parents know about his magic? Did they have magic as well? There were so many unanswered questions running around in his mind. Louis was right, he was stressed out. Ever since the encounter with the Lady, he has not stopped thinking so deeply into his mind that he was unusually quiet. If it weren’t for Louis coaxing him into speaking, that is.

The Prince had his eyes closed and was trying his best to concentrate, holding his hands out and over the candle to light it with his magic. It was difficult, especially when the person had limited knowledge about it all. His hands were shaking with determination, putting his mind to it. When he opened his eyes, he was disappointed that the candle remained unlit. Harry pouted and just pushed the candle away. He’s been at this since morning, he wanted to give it a try. Now, it’s almost sundown and things weren’t bloody working.

He knew that light magic can be more powerful than dark magic if it would be used correctly. Harry had to be careful about things. Whatever happened in the ocean was something that could’ve been destructive if the ship had come too close. He couldn’t make his magic work anymore, the Prince was starting to think that it only comes out when the adrenaline hits his body.

If he could control his magic, he could take Belle back and even defeat the Queen. He could do all that and it frustrates him that he couldn’t get it right. What was he doing wrong?

The Prince didn’t even notice Louis come out of the shower and put on new clothes behind him. Louis noticed how the boy was just staring at the candle completely spaced out. The thing about Louis was that as much as he was horrible with understanding his emotions and how affections worked, he can easily read others and could tell that something was bothering them. It made him a great Captain, being able to read and manipulate other evil people for the benefit of the crew and defeat them. In this case, Louis can see that Harry was worried about going to the castle and facing a powerful wizard that most of the lands feared.

Hook made his way towards Harry and sat on the ground next to him, hair still wet from the shower he just had. He craned his neck to look at the Prince and just frowned. He didn’t like seeing Harry upset. The Prince was always happy and that was his signature look, always full of glee and always so kind to everyone. Seeing him upset, disappointed and even slightly annoyed was definitely a different kind of change.

Louis hesitated, but reached over and slid his fingers between Harry’s, intertwining them and squeezing slightly. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

The Prince snapped out of his haze and felt the heat of Louis’ hand inside his. It was difficult to gain Louis’ affections so this was really nice. He liked holding Louis’ hand, it made things seem intimate. Especially when the man’s thumb just gently caressed his. Harry just let out a breath through his mouth and gestured towards the candle with his other hand. “I can’t light it up.”

Louis looked at the candle and then at Harry’s disappointed expression. “Then use matches?”

The Prince slowly smiled and laughed quietly at the little joke Louis made, shoulders shaking a bit while his dimples dented his cheeks. The pirate felt pleased upon hearing his laugh and smiled as well. _Odd_. Was it odd to feel satisfaction upon hearing someone you deeply care about laugh at a silly joke? It wasn’t. _Deeply care about?_

Harry’s laughter died down, but his smile remained. “No, I mean, I’ve been trying so hard to use my... thing, you know?”

“Your... _thing_.” Louis said to confirm it.

“Yes, the magic thing? I can’t get it to work.” Harry huffed a bit, a little annoyed at himself. “Whatever I can do with it, I can use it to buy myself some time to get Belle out. And maybe I can even take my kingdom back. If it’s still standing.” Harry muttered, staring at how their hands fit together so well.

Louis knew how much responsibility rested upon Harry’s shoulders. It was one of the reasons why he was hesitant on doing this— whatever this was —with him. He wouldn’t want to be another burden for him, now would he? The Prince’s plan was simple to list, but difficult to do. Louis would help, but facing the Dark One again.. facing Rumpelstiltskin after some dark years was just too much. He can’t tell Harry why, of course. Harry just has to believe that it’s just because of the pirate’s missing hand.

And as for his ship, heaven only knows what he’d do to protect it.

“I can’t give you any advice or even teach you how to use it since I’m not magical at all,” he said and just made Harry smile at him. “-but all I can say is that I know that you can do it.” Louis glanced at their hands as well before looking at the boy. “I believe in you.” He mumbled.

The Prince knew that most people wouldn’t believe him if he told them that Captain Hook was a romantic, but he was slightly glad that no one else got to witness him like this. Except him, his Harry.

From his words, Harry felt touched. He leaned towards him and just pressed his lips against the man’s. Louis was taken with him, yet again, but let his body go with it as he kissed him. Their lips moved sensually and it took all the stress off of Harry’s body. The next thing he knew was how his hand was suddenly empty and he felt his hip be grabbed by Louis’ hand as he was pulled into the man’s lap. He let out a sound of surprise, but then his lips were immediately sealed. The air around them shifted, and the aura changed. Harry shuddered, feeling the cold metal of the man’s hook against the soft skin of his hip. His shirt was riding up as his legs straddled the pirate’s lap. Harry felt dizzy from the way Louis’ sharp scruff rubbed against his rosy cheeks and how his soft lips were kissing him with wanton. Harry could feel his own body react to how Louis was treating him, gently but at the same time, roughly in the right amount.

Louis pulled away and didn’t waste time in standing up with ease, having Harry still in his arms with his legs around his waist to lift him up. He attached his mouth to the Prince’s neck, tasting him and letting his tongue dart out to leave traces on saliva on his skin. He needed more. Louis needed more of Harry to touch. _More of his skin._

The Prince was laid down on the bed behind them, the sheets were made. Louis left it a mess this morning, and it wasn’t difficult to assume that Harry’s cleanliness drove him into fixing the sheets for him. The thought only made Louis adore him even more. Adore? Did that word even fit the way Louis felt about this boy? Probably not, but it was somehow enough.

Louis crawled between his legs and leaned down to keep kissing his neck, holding himself up with one hand. It felt easy to do this, although Harry was still worried that he might do something wrong. He didn’t want to assume that Louis had been like this with other people and he definitely did not try to think about a number. But it wasn’t a secret that Louis had been with other people in the physical aspect, making him even more experienced than Harry.

Louis felt him tense a bit and that made him lean back to look at his face. He was worried that he might’ve read him wrong, and that he didn’t want this in the first place. Louis didn’t mind, of course, but he was worried that he took it too far and overwhelmed him. “Do you not want this? Which is fine,” he whispered and immediately said the last sentence, resulting him into saying it way too quickly. 

The Prince was just nervous, that was it. “Of course, I want this. I just.. don’t know what to do.” He muttered, looking at Louis’ eyes and noticing how his blue eyes were barely noticeable because of how dilated his pupils were. Even at his aroused state, he still managed to put Harry’s needs first. Louis really is a romantic.

The man licked his lips and looked at Harry with such hunger and adoration in his eyes, the stare just made Harry squirm a little bit underneath him. “I’ll show you.” He said into his ear and suddenly nibbled his earlobe, making the boy make a sound of pleasure. Louis had a smug smirk on when he heard Harry pant and whine slightly. The boy was very responsive and he can’t wait to hear his name be moaned out.

Louis pulled off and balanced himself on his knees on the bed, taking his shirt off and Harry took notice of his tattoos almost right away. Harry unbuttoned his own shirt and Louis grew impatient as he pushed the shirt off the boy’s shoulders. He was greeted by Harry’s pale and nicely built chest and stomach. He was still soft and thin, but not too much or too little. He was absolutely perfect, even with the small pudges of his hips. Louis never really got to appreciate his body that often, but right now, all he could think of was to consume him.

He waited too long for this and by the way Harry looked at him, he knew that he did too. Then, he went back to marking his neck again. Louis couldn’t help himself, the Prince looked so lovely with marks on his skin. Harry could feel his own heart beating in his chest, the sound was ringing in his ears. He could feel Louis’ hot breath as he sucked a mark on his skin, making the Prince let out a shaky moan. Harry bucked his hips up uncontrollably, gasping for more as he ran his fingers through Louis’ soft hair. The Prince was hard the moment his back hit the soft mattress, it took him a few moments to realize that this was really happening.

Louis was quite skilled with his hook. The Prince shouldn’t have been surprised when the pirate slid the Prince’s pants off with only his hook, but he still ended up to be. Louis could only smirk at him, chuckling at his reaction before pressing a hard kiss onto his lips.

Sex never alarmed Louis. Meaningless sex was somehow his usual night routine whenever they go to land for a quick break and drink at taverns. All the women and men that he hooked up with, Louis could barely even remember their names. The men in the ship would even pay some women to give Louis a night, they were all drunken bastards and Louis would just go along with it, also too smashed to even remember how it went. To be clear, Louis always thought that was what made him feel like a man. Now that he looked back on it, at this very moment, he felt ashamed of himself. Maybe sex _did_ alarm him. Sex with someone he didn’t want to be only just a one night stand. _It definitely alarmed him_.

All the more reason to pull away and stop what he was doing.

Hook was panting as he looked at Harry’s little doe eyes, the green color was more of an outline around the black pupils. Harry looked at him with confusion and also embarrassment as he gulped and he couldn’t look away. Louis sighed, disappointed in himself as he got off Harry, sitting back at the edge of the bed. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face into his palm, the hook was bumping against his forehead. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”

Harry frowned, just slightly embarrassed about what didn’t happen but more concerned about Louis’ wellbeing. He immediately tried to adjust himself, still in his underwear before he placed his hand on Louis’ shoulder. “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong-”

“No, fuck, no, of course you didn’t.” He removed his face from his hand and craned his neck to the side briefly as if to glance at Harry behind him. Harry noticed that Louis grew frustrated as he rambled with his words. “I just.. I feel.. I don’t know what I feel, actually.” He rubbed his forehead.

The Prince pressed his lips together and caressed the man’s shoulder in a gentle manner. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I’ve completely made a fool out of myself today and I didn’t even finish what I started. Bloody hell, I feel like an idiot.” Louis closed his eyes, not wanting Harry to remove his hand on his shoulder.

Harry just smiled now. “Why do you say that?”

“Because I can’t do it.” Louis simply said.

Harry wasn’t even phased by it, he just shrugged and says, “Okay, do you want me to get you some food to ea-”

Louis rolled his eyes, turning his body towards him. “Harry, I’m not saying that I want to stop this completely, I’m saying that this thing,” he gestured between both of them. “-between us is still very overwhelming.”

The fact that Louis kept admitting that to Harry only made him adore him even more. He couldn’t help but just look at him, admire the way he is. His hair was a mess and his lips were swollen from the rough and gentle kissing. He looked so beautiful, it made Harry wonder just how many people reminded him of that fact.

The pirate just looked at him with a skeptical expression. “What?” He was staring.

The Prince finally just looked at him with such adoration in his eyes. “You’re just beautiful.”

Louis’ lips parted in surprise, blinking a couple of times. He was quite sure that he looked like a complete mess with his hair and sleepy dust in his eye, or maybe the tiny and unnoticeable scars on his chest and back, skinny face and sharp cheekbones. He barely looked anything close to beautiful so it shocked him to hear Harry utter that conclusion of his. He has never been called beautiful in his entire life. Mostly brave, handsome, charming — although, that compliment is now reserved — arrogant, annoying and even evil. Beautiful had more variations and was directly to the point. To Harry, Louis held beauty and the pirate couldn’t understand as to why.

“What?”

The Prince didn’t have any more room for embarrassment, it was completely filled out. “I said, you’re beautiful.” _Definitely deranged_ , Louis thought. “And, as overwhelming as this is, I’m very happy that it still happened.” Harry slowly slid his soft hands across Louis’ shoulders, wrapping his arms around the pirate from behind. He was on his knees on the bed, pressing his cheek on the side of Louis’ neck. The pirate smelled like the fresh breeze of the sea and his morning tea.

Louis didn’t even tense during the hug, he was slowly growing used to what was happening between him and Harry, even though the feelings involved were still difficult to process. He cracked a little smile as he turned his head to see him. If Harry thought he was beautiful, how the hell did he expect Louis to describe him? _There are no words_. The insufficiency of words and syllables and structures of sentences was absolutely maddening.

This, whatever he felt for Harry, it didn’t hit him all of a sudden. There wasn’t a ball of fire that attacked him and made him realize that he was completely under Harry’s spell. No, it was a slow realization with a string of denial. He doesn’t even remember the time where he thought it was possible that he was developing a thing for this Prince he took inside his ship as a prisoner, before deciding to make a bargain.

He couldn’t possibly remember, the only recollection he had was that he was, and is still, very fucked up. He did so many fucked up things. Things that are unspeakable, unthinkable, all because of his ego and hunger for power, glory, sex and the journey. From the day he became a pirate, all he could ever do was feed the beast inside him. Now, he couldn’t compare himself to Harry’s kindness. If Louis’ previous Captain could see him now, he would’ve been so disappointed of how Louis turned out to be. He knew Harry can’t fix him. He can’t burden him with the thought that he could fix the broken man in front of him. But maybe, just maybe, Harry can stand with him as he fixes himself.

The pirate pressed a kiss on his lips, eyes fluttering close as their mouths molded into one another, fitting between the spaces so perfectly. Louis’ tongue slipped between Harry’s mouth and made him moan softly. It was still something for both of them to get used to, but they’re looking forward to it. Without pulling away, Louis turned his body around and wrapped his arm around the boy’s waist, gently pushing him back into the soft sheets and grunting into his lips.

Harry pulled away for a second, panting. “Are you-”

“Shut up.”

Before Harry could ask if this was okay, Louis decided to shut him up with a kiss before he could speak. Louis took his own pants off, too impatient to touch Harry but he wanted to take things slow. He wanted this so badly, only panicking earlier because he didn’t want Harry to make a big mistake. Louis is probably the one who should ask if he’s alright with this.

The pirate finally got both their underwear off. He can’t believe that he had Harry underneath him, just looking up at him and he barely knew what to do. Although, so far, he was doing everything right. Louis wasn’t surprised, he was a fast learner. Hook’s body was hovering on top of Harry’s, lifting himself once again with one hand. Harry’s breathing pattern was uneven, he didn’t know what Louis was going to do next but it was thrilling to not know.

The Prince felt cold metal around his wrist. Louis lifted his hand to the front of his mouth with only his hook. The Prince was about to ask what he was doing, but upon seeing how dark his eyes were, he gulped.

“I want to see you lick your palm and touch yourself.” Louis’ voice had a slight dark undertone that made Harry shiver. His deep but somewhat high-pitched voice did wonders in Harry’s body. The demanding and authoritative tone was different to what he was used to. It was more intense and so fucking sexy.

Harry visibly gulped, but did as he said. He kept his eyes locked with his as his tongue darted out from his mouth and ran up the length of his palm. Louis blinked at him, he looked like he was about to devour Harry completely. The pirate knew that Harry wasn’t even trying to be seductive, but he knew that he was. Harry was completely aware of how much he affected Louis. Harry knew how to use his assets well and Louis was glad that he was the only one who gets to see him like this.

After Harry licked his palm, the hook guided his hand down. “Keep your eyes on me. Don’t you dare look away.” Louis whispered.

Harry slowly wrapped his wet hand around his own cock and gasped at the feeling. He’s never done this before and it felt so different. It was a good different. He let out a shaky moan and closed his eyes briefly. “Louis, I-”

“Don’t close your eyes, just look at me.”

Louis’ soft voice forced him to open his eyes and stare at the man’s lustful ones. He could feel Louis’ hard cock against his thigh and he kept wondering what it would be like to pleasure him instead. The thought just kept Harry going, trying to be obedient and do as Louis said.

“Move your hand,”

Harry started to pump himself up and down and the pleasure coursed through him continuously, making him start to go faster and quicker while moaning out into Louis’ face. The occasional moan of the pirate’s name made him smirk. Louis reached down and wrapped the hook around Harry’s wrist, tugging him back to stop his movements. “You’re going too fast, go slow. Give yourself some time, Harry or you’ll hurt yourself.”

The Prince just nodded quickly, just wanting to touch himself again to continue what he was doing. “P-please, Louis.” He wasn’t quite sure what he was pleading for, the idea slipping his mind as the hook removed itself from his wrist to let him continue. Harry’s hand went slower this time, it was a delicious torture as he looked at Louis’ hungry eyes just staring back. He fed off of Harry’s little moans, the sounds made his cock twitch against Harry’s thigh. This went on for another minute until Harry’s panting increased and tears formed in his eyes. “L-Louis-”

“Let go.”

He wasn’t sure which one he meant, but when he felt the hook around his wrist again, he whimpered and wanted to shake his head. But Harry wanted to last long and enjoy this with him, so he pulled his hand away even when he was so close to that peak his body craved. He could barely process what was happening while Louis pressed a kiss on his lips, chin, neck, chest, stomach and his thigh.

Harry was panting heavily as he realized what was going to happen. “Louis,” he moaned out, screwing his eyes shut when he felt the man’s tongue run up the length of his cock, tasting him and the precome that dribbled from the head. Harry’s toes curled as he let out moans and groans here and there as Louis grabbed his base and started licking at the head, cleaning him off of the precome. “Louis, oh-” Harry’s hands that were clenched around the sheets transferred to Louis’ mess of a hair to pull, thighs trembling around Louis’ head as he breathed heavily. He could barely breathe, actually. Especially when Louis finally took him in his mouth and started to suck. He couldn’t fit everything in his mouth so his hand started to pump to meet his lips. Harry’s body was reacting wonderfully. Squirming, bucking and shaking. “Louis, Louis, L-Louis..” He was whimpering out his name like his only prayer all while his grip on his hair tightened.

The moment Harry pried his eyes open to look down at Louis, the sight of the man’s head bobbing up and down his cock as if it was the most delicious treat he ever had was something that sent Harry to the edge. He pulled on his hair uncontrollably and his body trembled with pleasure as he released into Louis’ mouth. Louis was now slowly bobbing his head to drag Harry’s orgasm on. The Prince laid back into the bed, limp and spent as he tried to catch his breath. Louis pulled off with a pop and he only grinned at Harry, smiling in success. Harry can’t believe he swallowed him down, and he also can’t believe that his body was capable of feeling such things. It took Harry a few moments to recollect himself as he pushed Louis back, taking him by surprise. Harry straddled his hips and spat into his own hand like he did earlier. Louis gulped at the sight and watched Harry wrap his hand around Louis’ cock, sensually touching him while biting his lip. He looked so good and Louis found it difficult to focus. He didn’t know which one to concentrate on, Harry’s face or the pulling of his cock. Louis threw his head back with a moan, letting Harry do what he was doing. “Fuck, yes. That’s it. Keep going, fuck-” Louis has never been this responsive. He almost couldn’t believe that Harry was an inexperienced person.

Watching Harry touch himself and sucking him off was already too much pleasure for Louis. He’s been turned on for so long that the Prince touching him this way only brought him to the edge, coming all over Harry’s hand and his own stomach. It wasn’t a surprise that he came quickly. Seeing Harry like that was too much for him.

They were both spent and satiated as Harry leaned forward and laid his head on Louis’ chest. They were panting and sweaty, both covered in come. The two didn’t mind, though. Louis only shut his eyes and let Harry listen to his heart, his hand traveling up to run his fingers through the Prince’s curls. The thumping of Louis’ heart was comforting. It reminded Harry that he was alive, that this man was here with him, holding him.

Then, they both broke out in a soft fit of laughter, still in disbelief of how things were happening between them. Harry refused to believe they were going too fast. They both waited this long to have someone. To have each other.

They both showered, taking turns of course. Harry liked his privacy during his showers and Louis respected that even though he teased him a bit. After they both had gotten cleaned in the shower, Harry walked to the other side of the bed and picked up the candle on the floor to blow it out. He was about to put the candlestick away when he realized that it wasn’t lit before. His eyes widened as he stared at the candle in shock. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t say anything but, “Louis!”

Ever so alert, the man immediately scrambled outside the bathroom in a towel to check if Harry was alright, sighing in both relief and annoyance. “Bloody hell, Harry. Shout if it’s an _emergency_ , I thought we talked about that.” Louis shook his head.

The Prince pointed at the candle. “It had light. It was lit up!” He claimed and stammered. “I did it, but not quite. It probably happened during..” Harry stopped himself and just thought about it for a second. “-that.”

Louis looked at the candle and let out a calm breath through his nose. He went over to hold Harry by the shoulders, one hand on the shoulder and the hook at the side of the other one. He locked eyes with him. “Sleep. We’ll discuss this in the morning.” He chuckled when he saw Harry pout, gently guiding him to the bed.

He noticed that Harry changed the sheets already and he couldn’t believe how much his adoration increased. There were little things about Harry that were so endearing, things that Harry doesn’t even notice he does. Like how he puts the cap back on the rum bottles that Louis had, but he never close them too tightly. It was because Louis will never be able to open them on his own. Louis would feel embarrassed to ask help from him to twist the top while he held the body of the bottle just so he could have a drink. So Harry left the caps slightly unscrewed, he wouldn’t feel the need to be embarrassed. Or how Harry always aligned Louis’s shoes and leaves them laced already and all Louis had to do was slide his feet into it and pull one of the strings to tie them instantly. Harry made things so easy and accessible for Louis and the boy didn’t even notice.

The pirate got dressed and he put away his hook. He took it off before the shower already. Harry was still thinking deeply, but his stress seemed to have been reduced. It made Louis smirk and turn around, leaning himself against the table and crossing his arms. He watched Harry, who was spaced out. Louis decided to walk over and lie down on his favorite bed side.

They both slept in the same bed lately, and were more comfortable with each other. Although they never held each other while doing so, the warmth between them was enough. This time though, Louis was willing to try it out and pulled the boy close to his chest. Harry was the one surprised this time, but he smiled and just complied.

“So, what’s the book about?” He asked.

Louis frowned, thinking about it for a second. “What book?”

“The Bravest Heart. What is it about?” He slowly traced his finger on the outline of Louis’ tattoo, visible on his chest since his shirt was loose.

Harry wished that he asked it sooner, the book seemed to hold such great importance to Louis. He didn’t want to be personal though and make him uncomfortable, but maybe since their new arrangement, things were changing between the two of them.

The pirate just nodded once, humming for a split second. He reached from under the pillow and pulled out the book, Harry didn’t even know it was there. The Prince just watched him open the book and start flipping through the pages. “It’s about a knight that was deemed as a coward because he refused to fight in a war. He gets overthrown by the palace and he sets off to make everyone believe that he’s brave, even when he believed that he wasn’t.” Harry looked at some of the pictures on the pages. “The more he believed he was a coward, the more he became one.” Louis muttered and it made Harry look up to see his face. The pirate had these intense blue eyes that hid so many secrets and Harry found himself hypnotized by them.

Louis handed the book to him, and the book opened to the first page to reveal the note. Harry’s fingers touched the surface of the paper and grazed against the word _‘William’_. The pirate sighed. “My middle name.” He had a distasteful expression on his face.

“Louis William Tomlinson.” The pirate could feel how his heart swelled when he listened to the boy say his name. “Sounds like Royalty.” He teased and just made the other laugh. Hearing him laugh like that made Harry’s whole body warm. He wanted to ask about the note, more about Louis’ father, but he didn’t want to seem like he was pushing it.

“Do you have one?”

“One what?”

“Middle name.”

Harry snorted. “Harry Edward Styles.”

The pirate grinned. “Well, that’s very posh.” He traced invisible lines on Harry’s arm.

They both laid in silence until Harry chose to speak up. “I’m really not sure if I could face the Dark One.” He muttered, touching the buttons of Louis’ shirt to distract himself. “There’s this feeling inside me that I’ll.. fail Belle.”

Louis could feel how upset Harry was. He thought about Rumpelstiltskin. Harry doesn’t deserve to even be a few feet away from him. What scared Louis was how terrified he was of what Rumpelstiltskin might do to Harry. He subconsciously wrapped his arms around Harry even tighter.

 _Stay_.

The word kept echoing in his head. He knew why, he just didn’t know how to admit it. He tried to shake the thought off. “Well, the more you believe that, Charming, the more it becomes true. Don’t be like Gideon from the book.” Louis slowly ran his fingers through Harry’s hair. “Well, him from the start, that is.”

Harry’s eyes closed and he let himself melt from how Louis’ fingers felt in his hair. The pirate only had one hand and it still managed to make Harry feel too many things. It shocked him sometimes whenever he remembered that Louis was now his. He doesn’t even remember what he was so afraid of before they came in to terms of what they are. What were they again? Just his Harry and his Louis. Whatever that meant.

Louis pursed his lips, feeling very relaxed in this position. “We’ll figure it out. It’s just us here.”

 _We. Us._ Simple words that combined two singular pronouns to make something plural, yet still singular. It made Harry’s heart flutter. Yes, Louis is a romantic. He doesn’t even know it, he wasn’t aware and it made Harry feel at his mercy. There was nothing he won’t do for this man. He was living inside a fairytale, he really felt like that. It didn’t even bother him the slightest that Louis wasn’t Royalty. It didn’t matter to him. Everything he felt about the pirate was pure and good, it made him feel so nice. He didn’t know if he should ask Louis to come with him on land, he doesn’t want Louis to feel obliged to do so but he really wanted Louis with him. It felt like a selfish thing to do to ask him, he didn’t want everything to be about himself.

When Harry drifted off to sleep after some silence, Louis wrapped the sheets around him. He could see that he was cold so he gave him the rest of the sheets before standing up. Louis locked his hook into his stump. The more he looked at Harry, the stronger his guilt grew. He dimmed the lamps and grabbed his coat to go outside. Louis was met with the cold breeze of midnight and saw a few of the night shifts while he made his way to the helm. Louis couldn’t seem to stop thinking about Harry, but then again, when was he not?

Liam glanced at him while having a map spread out on the table. “A week before his castle. How do we feel about that?” He asked Louis, who had an unreadable expression.

Louis didn’t know which one Liam was referring, the Dark One or Harry. “Harry’s fine.”

“I meant, with _him_.”

The Captain clenched his jaw. “I’m not going to face him, Smee. You know that I can’t.” He looked at the hook attached to his arm and let out a breath. “And I won’t.”

Liam frowned. “You can’t just let Harry go alone.”

“I know that, Mr. Smee. Thank you for reminding me.” He glared and put his arms behind his back.

“You also can’t convince him not to go. We both know how much he cares about the lass in that castle.” Liam pointed out and grabbed a pen, tracing their route on the map. “This Belle woman really has him determined.”

The Captain huffed, couldn’t believe that he was getting envious of a woman that Harry platonically cared for. It’s these damned emotions that are clouding his judgment. “But it’s _him_ , I can’t just show up to his castle and go, _Hello, Dark One, missed me? Remember how you ruined my life?_ ” He sarcastically said while making exaggerated gestures and expressions before he rolled his eyes and walked to the railing, gripping the wood with one hand. He rested his other elbow on the surfacing, staring at the hook.

“Harry doesn’t understand the scope of the danger he’ll be in. You have to come with him.” Liam encouraged him. “We all have to go with him, you know that.”

Hook closed his eyes and breathed through his nose to calm himself. He understood where Liam was going with this, but he hated how right he was. He was at war with his mind and heart, it was so frustrating. If he never had an attachment to Harry, this never would’ve been a problem. But since he does, he found it difficult to decide.

Then, he remembered one very significant little detail amidst all of these frustrating situations and his fist clenched. “He can’t know, Liam.” He quietly said.

Smee let out a sigh, immediately knowing what he was referring to. “You need to tell him. While you keep things a secret from him, it’ll backfire. I know that you know that.”

Louis slammed his palm into the wood and groaned, aggravated. “Yes, I know that, Smee! I’m also bloody aware of what might happen if he finds out.” He spat, body tense as he walked with weight on his steps.

Liam could see how much this stressed Louis out. He already knew that him and Harry were somewhat together now, and he can see how it’s bothering him. “You can’t keep this one from him. Should’ve told him from the start.” He muttered.

The Captain rolled his eyes again and just hated how fucking right Smee was. He was always right. Even when he wasn’t, he was still right. “Well, it didn’t feel necessary to inform him about that on the first day he was here.” Louis hated how he kept so many things from Harry. He should be completely honest to him now, right? Now that they’ve come to an understanding, Louis should tell him everything and trust him with the truth.

Smee could sense the internal battle and gloomed a bit. He knew that Louis wasn’t acclimatized to relationships and from how he saw it, they’ve only been at it for a short time. Even though they already seemed together even before they decided to actually be. Liam was skeptical of how Louis might progress in relationships, but so far, he was doing great. Liam noticed how happy both of them were, their smiles were wider and he’s been hearing Louis laugh a lot lately. He doubted him at first, but now, seeing him care so much about Harry, all his fears went away.

“You don’t understand, Smee.” Louis pointed out, his hand reaching up to grip his own hair. “It’s very difficult and..” he paused, trying to find the right word for his rage, confusion, horror and sadness. There was this void inside him that he desperately tried to fill for so many years and couldn’t find anything that could fit. Harry was slowly filling every void that he once thought he had, and gave him even more. He can’t possibly imagine a day, a month or a year without hearing his gentle voice and it terrified him. He let out a shaky breath and shook his head. “I.. I don’t want to lose him.” He croaked out, looking away and felt slightly humiliated and awkward by the reveal. He never really said it out loud, except to Harry. Ever since that day, he has never spoken about it to anyone, including Harry. Louis wasn’t used to being all vulnerable adjacently. He wasn’t sure if he liked it since it made him feel so weak.

Liam softened as he took in Louis’ state. He looked broken and brought a whole different meaning to pulling on heartstrings.

When Liam made no move to speak, Louis grew even more humiliated. “Maybe this thing with Harry was a mistake-”

“What? No!” He cut him off and made the other man turn to him. “Louis, I’ve never seen you place such significance upon anyone but yourself for a long time.” He said with a chuckle.

Louis furrowed his brows, a little bit offended. “ _You’re_ significant to me.”

Smee scoffed, not serious. “Of course, I am. Right now, I don’t count. I’ve never heard you say something like that about anyone, actually.” He went over and gave him a pat on the back to try and ease his humiliated state. “Caring about people isn’t embarrassing, Louis. It doesn’t make you weak. Thought I told you about that. Being in a relationship with Harry-”

“Oh, bloody hell, don’t put it like that-”

“-isn’t a mistake, don’t ever think that.”

“But all these complicated entanglements are what’s clouding my judgment. I can’t face the Dark One, Smee. I just.. I can’t!” He aggressively waved his hand in the air, trying to think. “I can’t even bear to bloody look at that beast, how do you think I’ll handle it if I go with Harry? If we go?” He questioned Liam.

“How will we know if we won’t try it?” He tried to convince his Captain. “You know for sure that Harry can’t just go alone with no idea how to fight the Dark One _with a sword!_ ” He exclaimed and Louis had to look away when he remembered that none of the other men in the ship knew about Harry’s light magic. “I know you don’t want to lose him but letting him go alone is already very dangerous. If he really is planning to go alone, he might be crazier than you are.” He pointed at him.

Louis scowled at him as if to tell him not to talk about the boy that way. Liam almost broke into a laugh but the expression Louis’ face faded right away before he even got the chance. “I should just convince him to stay here. He’s safe in the sea.”

Smee looked at him as if his plan was the most dense plan he’s ever heard. “We both know that Harry won’t do that. The woman in that castle is trapped and Harry would never let someone suffer like that.”

 _Right again,_ Louis thought. “Well, I’m sorry, Smee. I am not facing him again.”

“So, what, you’re just going to let him take Harry away from you as well? Don’t be such a coward.”

The Captain snapped. “I’d choose my words very carefully next time if I were you, Mr. Smee.” He pulled rank and glared at Liam, making the man nervously take a step back. “I’ll figure this out, just need more time.” He told Liam. “Can you give me time?” The pirate sternly asked his first mate.

Liam blinked at him. “You... want me to slow down our course?”

“Yes.”

“That.. will make us late. It’ll take a month to get there, are you being sure?”

“Not a month. Two weeks are enough.” Louis muttered and adjusted his coat, making his way to the helm and securing his grip around the handles.

Hours later, the sun reappeared and light seeped through the windows. Harry could hear the gentle waves fighting against the ship just outside and made him open his eyes. He realized that he’s been embracing a pillow instead of Louis’ warm body. He had hoped to wake up to him, but didn’t exactly mind. The pirate must have been busy anyway. Harry continued his usual everyday routine inside the ship. He got up, washed his face and gargled some water, spitting into the sink and letting the faucet wash it down. He combed his hair with a fork and slips on his shoes before going outside, squinting a bit at the bright light of the sun. A few men greeted him as he made his way to the kitchen to prepare and ration some food for them all. He hasn’t seen Louis since yesterday and his best bet was that he was at the helm. The ship was quite vast and large that Harry couldn’t possibly locate the Captain quick.

The Prince appreciated how the crew didn’t treat him as inferior anymore. They were quite nice once Harry had gotten to know a few things about some of them. They didn’t seem as mean and aggressive from the first time he met them. At least they all warmed up to Harry, he didn’t know why or how but he was glad that they did.

Harry prepared the food on the table and left it there as usual, so that they would just go there if they’re hungry. However, he carried two bowls of soup to the helm area where Liam and Louis were working. He carefully set the bowls on the table and smiled at both of them.

The Captain wasn’t at all surprised when he saw Harry from behind him. They both acted quite normal when they’re outside, except with the subtle looks here and there. The pirate tried to fight off the smile that was forming on his face when he looked at him.

Harry placed his palm above one of the bowls to feel the steam. “Better eat up while it’s still hot.” He told the two of them.

Smee just looked between them. He didn’t exactly thought through his wish for them to finally be together, now it’s sickening how they act around one another even when they try not to appear as though there was something there. He tried not to grimace playfully and act like nothing else was happening as he took a bowl and started to slurp from the rim. He hummed and complimented Harry’s cooking as always. He had no idea how Harry manages to make such good food despite how awful the ingredients here may be.

Louis cleared his throat and crossed his arms. “It’s going to take two weeks to get to the castle. It’s very far.” He glanced at Liam, expecting him to go along with his lie. Smee suppressed a long sigh, he never was fond of lying. Especially to someone like Harry.

“Oh?” There was a falter in his tone. Another day without Belle was another day in torture for her part. It made Harry feel how heavy his heart became. He’s been waiting for too long and just wanted to see her again, safe and alive. He needed to know if his instincts were correct and that she really is alive. “Well, if there’s anything I can do to help speed it up, let me know.” He just gave them another soft smile.

Smee looked at Louis and saw how he just nodded and moved to the map. The disappointment was evident in Harry’s face, he really wore his heart on his sleeve. When Liam was called over downstairs, he decided to leave the two and go off to his duties. Harry and Louis were alone, so the pirate went to face him and saw that the boy tried to hide his worry.

Louis frowned. He hated keeping him here, prolonging his agony even more but can he really be blamed? Harry did not understand the dangers that lie ahead of him, the pirate needed more time to sort things out himself. It was selfish, he was aware, but it’s the only way to keep him here. He walked in front of the boy and just observed how he looked.

_Tell him. Tell him. Tell him the truth._

Harry avoided his eyes and just forced himself to smile. “Is there any other way to cut the journey short?” He quietly asked.

Lying was one of Louis’ specialties. He was an exceptional liar, using that skill to trick people into doing things for his own benefit. Somehow, right now, it was difficult to do so. He managed to make it seem believable though. “The Dark One’s castle is very far, we’re doing everything we could.”

Harry let out a nervous laugh. “Thought this ship was the fastest ship in the realm.”

“It is.” He defended his beloved ship and gave the Prince a look of disbelief. He was lying, he knew that, but he still felt the need to not let Harry forget that his ship was the greatest. “Calm down.”

Harry made a move to reach for Louis’ hand. He sighed and closed his eyes briefly. “Apologies for my behavior, but Belle isn’t waiting for me. She’s not prolonging her life for me. You know the Dark One, right?”

The pirate just wished he could have a drink at that moment. “Yes, I do. He took my hand, remember? I know you want to get to her and you will. We just have to wait.”

“I’ve been apart from her for months upon months, Louis. I just..” he turned to his left and tried to calm himself down. It wasn’t like him to act hysterical even when that’s how he felt inside. Harry, as a Prince, had to look calm and collected. But right now, he felt like panicking. Ever since he left the palace, everything that happened after that point on has been very overwhelming. It was a surprise that he hasn’t had a proper panic attack, maybe apart from the time he had a breakdown inside the Quarters when he dropped food all over Louis’ notes. “I can’t bear the fear of her getting hurt. I couldn’t care less if.. if the Queen gets to me. Belle is all that matters right now.” He let go of Louis’ hand and tried to ease his breathing. “She might’ve been hurt already, and I wasn’t there.” The Prince muttered to himself.

Captain Hook felt the heat in his hand disappear when Harry let him go. The distraught on his face was evident, it made Louis feel.. guilty. “Harry..”

“No, it’s okay. I’m fine.” He backed away and turned around, hurriedly walking away before he embarrassed himself in front of the pirate.

He passed Liam on the way down the stairs and made the man look back at him as he walked off, then give Louis a questioning look. The Captain had his jaw clenched and averted his eyes from Smee. His first mate walked up to him. “What did you do?”

He rolled his eyes. _Of course, that’s what he would ask first_. “What makes you think that I did something?”

“You always do something, Captain Hook. What have you done?” He blankly said.

Hook let out a huff and crossed his arms. “Told him that we get there in two weeks and I got a moral lecture. What difference does one week make? He waited long enough.” Louis said in annoyance.

“That’s exactly the point; he waited long enough. He’s been patient throughout the whole treasure ordeal and now that he’s finally getting his end of the bargain, you refuse to go at this faster?” He had disappointment etched on his expression. “I wouldn’t be surprised that it would end with you being so self-centered, but now I just want to believe that you’re slowly changing because of Harry.”

He scowled. “I’m not going to change for him.”

“Well, at least learn to be a bit less conceited.” Smee finished as he walked back downstairs to talk with some of the men. He left Louis alone at the helm area, pondering over his selfish decision to keep Harry here as long as he could.

Meanwhile, the Prince kept himself busy by sketching the Jolly Roger flag, making sure the shadings were correct. His hands were slightly shaking and he disliked the feeling. He sighed and gave up trying to make his hands steady as he moved towards the table, grabbing the candlestick and setting it on the floor with him. He stared intently at the small rope that emerged from the tip of the candle and hovered his palms over it. His eyes closed on their own and he let himself be immersed in his own thoughts. How can he get his magic to work? What did he have to do? After several attempts, he gave that up as well. Maybe he was sulking, or panicking, or even angry. Either way, he wasn’t doing so good.

He dreaded the possible outcome of going to the Dark One. Harry was starting to doubt himself, and that was bad enough since he was a representation of hope. A Prince. He didn’t even want to think that Belle was no longer alive. He doesn’t think he could bear that. If she is truly gone, he’d be lost. It’d be too much to ask Louis to come with him and help save Belle.

He felt a tear escape his eye as he thought about everything he had to think about. Belle, the Dark One, the Queen, even Louis. He was afraid that maybe Belle thought he abandoned her. He was afraid that the Dark One had killed her already. He was afraid that the Queen will take his heart for a reason unknown to him. He was afraid that he’ll ruin things with Louis. So many people to face, different people who have different positions in Harry’s life, and he was scared to face all of them. All he could think of was crawling back into bed and let the faint smell of Louis wash over his senses. He wished that Louis was here next to him, but he knew that the man was busy. Didn’t really stop him from wishing he was there, though.

He felt absolutely useless. He couldn’t control his magic—use it, for that matter. He definitely couldn’t fight the Dark One. Harry wasn’t an idiot to think that a sword would do it all for the wizard. Magic could be a way to at least buy them time to escape, but he had no idea how to let them resurface.

He sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand, looking up from the floor and back to the candle. He felt his body freeze when the small flame danced side to side and melted the wax slowly. A sound of disbelief left his lips as he smiled and observed the fire. Now, he was starting to notice a pattern. His magic came to life whenever he felt emotional. No clue as to why, but that was the only connection he could gather.

He looked up when he heard footsteps by the stairs, seeing Louis descend from the deck. Harry tried looking away, a little humiliated by his actions earlier. He overreacted. It’s just that Belle has been away for so many months that Harry lost count, he feared that he may be too late.

Louis slowly neared him and Harry just kept his eyes down. He stood in front of him for a few seconds before crouching down. “I know that you want to see her now, but Harry, I don’t think you understand the danger of taking back a deal from Rump- the Dark One.”

The Prince glanced at Louis’ hook to remind himself of Rumpelstiltskin’s power. He sighed and gave the pirate a shrug. “I’ve read so many books about heroes and them saving their world. Belle became a hero when she sacrificed herself for my kingdom. I want to have at least half of her heroism to prove that I can be brave. And I can’t even light a candle easily.” Harry looked at Louis with such wonder in his eyes. “I’m so tired of being weak.”

The pirate felt upset by how Harry looked down upon himself. He’s always so optimistic and hopeful, seeing him this way just made his chest cave in. He grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him to the edge of the bed. Louis sat him down and knelt before him so they can face each other while the boy looked down at him. Harry wasn’t being his usual charming self and it was very peculiar.

Louis had to do something about it, so he settled between his knees, arms on the boy’s thighs as his hand and hook settled beneath the Prince’s back. It was an intimate position and Harry found himself wanting to drown in the pool of Louis’ eyes. “You are not weak, Charming.” He spoke to him whilst locking their eyes together, he wanted Harry to see that he wasn’t patronizing him. “I’ve met so many people and they haven’t come close to how strong you are. You’d be in danger the moment your foot touches land, and you’re still determined to get to the Dark One’s lair. Like a pirate, it’s very brave.” There was a serious edge on his voice. When the Prince let out a small laugh in disbelief, Louis moved closer. “I’m not joking. I never do compliment other people but since we’re.. well, we’re whatever we are.” Louis gestured between them. “I’m trying to be honest with you.” The irony of that line sent a punch to Louis’ gut and he disliked the feeling. Usually, whenever he lied, he would feel a high. When he does it to Harry, all he felt was guilt.

The guilt deepened when Harry finally smiled at him, genuine and pleased. He leaned down to kiss Louis’ forehead. “Thank you for that.” He softly said, cheeks reddening.

Louis felt a sudden lightheadedness when he felt Harry’s lips on his forehead. “You’re, uh — yeah, you’re welcome.” He cleared his throat and made a move of pushing himself off of the boy. _His Harry_.

The Prince let out a giggle when Louis was suddenly confused on what to do. He couldn’t blame him, they were both quite new to this arrangement of theirs. Calling it a relationship seemed odd in Louis’ context. An agreement? Close enough. Harry stood up and rested his elbows on Louis’ shoulders, arms stretching behind the pirate’s head. A small smirk appeared on Louis’ face as their bodies melted into each other. Louis’ hook found its way below Harry’s spine, slightly touching the skin that appeared between the hems of his shirt and pants. The cold metal sent shivers through Harry’s arms and legs and down his back. The pirate pulled him close and let their lips find one another. Both pairs of eyes fluttered close. Harry’s fingers ran through Louis’ hair and they just fitted perfectly.

All of Harry’s fears dimmed down a bit when Louis had his arms around him.

When they pulled away, they both had these fond smiles on their faces. Louis looked at him in such a way that made his stomach flip. “What is it?” Harry whispered.

“Nothing, I’m just really.. happy.” He admitted, fiddling with the single thread that stuck out of Harry’s worn out shirt, which belonged to Louis. “All of this, it feels too good to be actually true. I’ve never really had this. I-” he stopped himself, blinking a couple of times. “I don’t want to ruin it.” He slowly said, more confused about himself as he settled his hand on Harry’s hip.

The Prince’s smile faded slightly, cupping Louis’ cheek to reassure him. “You won’t.” He quietly said, leaning back in to kiss the corner of Louis’ lips. “I have faith in both of us.”

 _That’s my Harry_. Louis thought to himself and let the boy hold him. He thought about the things that were left unsaid, guilt seeping through him. Should he feel guilty for keeping Harry safe? Should he feel guilty for keeping another secret from him, to protect him? He saw logic in not feeling guilty, so why did he feel that way? It didn’t make sense, he’s only doing what’s best for him. Why should he be guilty because of that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment please, don't be a ghostie <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: harry is still trying to manage his magic. louis and harry are enjoying each other's company, naturally. the pirate is struggling with deciding to face the dark one with harry and fight alongside him, or not face him at all. captain hook has a dark secret as well, wanting to be revealed. the prince believes that belle desperately needs him. the captain decided to slow down the course to keep the prince on board, prolonging his time with the boy.

_“Father, what about this?” An eight-year old Louis held up a plant that may be grown into a bigger one._

_They were inside a wealthy family’s garden, hiding out of plain sight to prevent themselves from getting caught. The family must have been one of the Royals, considering how vast their land was. Louis, hungry and filthy, desperately tried to find anything that can be shoved into his makeshift basket. His little sisters were starving back in the streets of a village four streets down. Louis’ father asked him to come along and gather food from rich people. It wouldn’t be stealing if they’ve stolen money from the villages, right?_

_His father nodded. “That’s quite good, William. Find more of those and we can grow our own garden.” He sighed, looking around. “If we find our own land.” He muttered under his breath._

_“Oi! What are you lot doing there?!” There was a sudden shout from a distance. They’ve been caught. The young boy barely took the time to process what was happening and heard his father yell at him to run. He held the basket to his chest and started to run._

_“Get your hands off of me!” He heard his father struggled to yell as four men grabbed him._

_“Father!” Louis exclaimed and started to run towards him. The men threw his father to the ground with a groan and laughed as they watched him struggle to get back on his feet._

_The four men laughed. They were wearing quite fancy clothes and were smoking pipes, an obvious distinction of Royals. “Stealing now, are we? Should’ve expected it from the village’s coward.” One of them commented and made the others snicker._

_Louis’ father had his cane and used it to balance himself back onto his feet. “We’ve no f-food and winter is coming,” he stammered. “If any of you’d be so kind and give us at least a few crops, we’ll be on our way.” His voice was shaky, seeming a bit small as the young child stood behind him, not wanting to let go the bit of good food he hasn’t had in a long while._

_One of them scoffed. “What makes you think that any of us will give you anything? Coward.” He raised his foot and kicked his father on the leg where he was permanently injured. He groaned and got on his knee, clutching the spot where he was kicked. Louis dropped the basket of plants and immediately went to his side, clutching his arm to help him stand back up._

_“Please! We mean no ill will, I’m only trying to find a way to feed my family.” His father begged them._

_One of the Royal men stepped forward, Louis’ father grabbed the young boy’s arm when he thought that the Royal was going to hurt him. He didn’t, instead, he extended his foot until it was settled on the ground in front of Louis’ father. “Kiss my boot.”_

_Louis frowned and looked at his father, not wanting to move because the other men might hurt him. His father was reluctant, shifting his gaze from his dirty boot and to the Royal’s face. “N-not in front of my son—”_

_“Kiss my boot!” He yelled and sent the poor man into pressing his mouth against the front of the dirty shoe._

_Louis almost had tears in his eyes as he watched his coward of a father be mistreated by those people who belonged to the top of the hierarchy. The other men laughed as the Royal kicked the face of Louis’ father, sending him back to the ground. They all left them there, ordering some guards to take whatever they stole. Louis, a skilled thief, had some crops hidden inside his shirt as he helped his humiliated father back on his feet. They both left in a hurry, trying not to get attacked by the guard as they walked in a quick pace, Louis assisting his father._

_“Don’t worry, my son. We’ll have a better life than this. I promise you. I will do anything.” His father said in between labored breaths._

_Louis somewhat didn’t believe him, that this poor filthy life is all that is stored for him, but he did not want to upset his father so he just gives him a stern nod. “Yes, father. I know.”_

Days have passed and they were all still set to sail to Rumpelstiltskin’s castle. Smee made sure to go a bit slow and give his Captain some time. He didn’t like what Louis was doing, but he can’t disobey his Captain. He just wanted Louis to decide, and he really hoped that the decision he’ll make will be justified. Liam wanted to go with Harry and protect the boy. The whole crew have gotten quite used to having the Prince around and even grown some kind of bond with him. While Harry got along with them, the older men have grown protective over him. Maybe some aren’t keen with him, but most of them were. Harry had a kind and light-hearted spirit that no person can ever resist. Not even the most vicious and ruthless men in all realms. Especially their Captain, who was very much captivated by him.

Hook was currently looking through his spyglass, seeing land from a great distance. It was still very far away, yet he dreaded every second of getting closer. The closer they got, meant the sooner he had to decide whether or not he had to go with Harry.

It was a difficult decision, Louis was weighing his options. If he went with Harry, he’d have to face Rumpelstiltskin again. He has never been face to face with him for years now, ever since that beast took his hand and changed the whole game. Louis could still remember the clean slice of sword across his wrist, the pain coursing through his whole body. The blood splattering on the wooden planks of the very ship that they were sailing.

The Captain shook his head at the horrible memory and slid the spyglass back into place. If he doesn’t go with Harry, the boy will be in danger and Louis wouldn’t be there to help him fight. Hook dreaded the idea of Harry going off on his own, and never seeing him again since they had to go on with their own lives. Harry and Louis live in completely different worlds. Harry has a kingdom to save and Louis has other things to take care of. The pirate had to think of the crew and he couldn’t let himself and the other men to be involved in a fight that wasn’t theirs. Especially since they all disliked the idea of seeing Rumpelstiltskin again.

Although, he wanted to be there for Harry, of course he did. He’d put the boy’s safety above anything, if he’s being honest. It’s just that, coincidentally, the woman Harry’s looking for is at the castle of the beast that Louis had pure hatred towards.

“Are you busy?”

Louis turned his head and was met with Harry’s nervous expression. He stopped what he was doing and put his spyglass into the pocket of his coat. Seeing him again made his expression soften. His troubles fluttered away and all he could think about was Harry. It was still quite an adjustment. Accepting emotions like these aren’t really something Louis dealt with everyday. _It was a big thing, of course._

The Captain motioned for Harry to come over and the boy walked towards him. Louis reached for his hand, affectionately stroking it with his thumb to relax him. “I’m never too busy for you.” He pointed out and made Harry’s nerves calm down a bit as he cracked a smile. “What’s bothering you?”

He looked down. “It’s my... magic. It’s... _I can’t do it_.” He kept his voice down and shook his head.

Louis glanced at Smee, who was at one corner of the helm area to make sure he wasn’t listening. He saw that the man had his back turned from them so Louis looked back at the boy. “Magic isn’t easy. Trust me, I would know.”

Harry gave him a look, confused. “Really? How so?”

“I meant, I’ve seen what people can do with magic.” He clarifies. “It’s not very pretty, what I’ve seen. Mostly dark magic, though. What I know is limited.” He reassured him, making the Prince nod.

“I just don’t think I can do this. I’m afraid, Louis.” His hands and voice were shaky. “I don’t even know the Dark One that well, how am I supposed to face him? We only met briefly and he so rudely took my friend with him.” He tried to laugh it off but the anxiety was still very obvious.

The pirate sighed. For the past few days, all they talked about was Belle and naturally, Louis was quite envious of how close their relationship was. He knew that they were just friends, Harry made it clear from the very start. Louis tried to understand that Harry was trying to save her, so he just tried his best to comprehend what Harry was feeling. It’s just that he knew that he can’t compete with how important Belle is in his life. Some things were difficult to do for Louis lately. Louis pulled him closer, even Smee peeked at them and grinned to himself. The Captain didn’t see his first mate glance at them discreetly. “Why don’t we discuss this in my room, yeah? Wait for me there.” He gripped Harry’s arm gently, squeezing it.

The Prince just nodded and smiled at him. He started to walk away, hand still holding the pirate’s. It was like neither of them wanted to let go. When Harry was far enough to break the contact, he looked back and grinned at Louis. The simple interaction put something heavy on Louis’ chest, it was a nice feeling. It made him smile as well as he watched him walk away. His smile faded when the boy was out of his line of sight.

“You should tell him.” He heard Smee’s voice from far behind him.

He didn’t bother to look back as he gulped and scratched both his cheeks with his thumb and middle finger. Louis should tell Harry everything, but he was just terrified of how Harry might react. “It’s not that easy, Smee.”

“All the more reasons to tell him. Harry should know.” Liam walked towards him, standing next to his Captain to view the sea. Louis didn’t answer and made Smee sigh, a little annoyed. “He should know.” He pressed, turning his head towards him.

Louis clenched his jaw. “I’m aware, Mr. Smee. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“And how many times do I have to remind you?” He shot back. “I don’t want to be the one to tell him, alright? It’s your business and he should hear it from you. I know it’s difficult but you’re Captain bloody Hook, you’re as stubborn as it gets.” He told him. “Tell him now or it’ll be too late to do so. You have to before he even sets foot on land.”

He felt pressured. Telling everything, every truth and being completely honest, it wasn’t exactly Louis’ strongest suit. He audibly breathed through his nose and nodded, making his way down the to the deck and to his Quarters. He closed the door behind himself and saw Harry on the bed, reading the book that Louis held onto.

The Prince looked up at him and smiled admiringly. “Have you eaten yet?” He gestured towards the food plate on the table.

Louis just put his hand up to tell him that he was fine. “I, uh... have something to tell you.” He lowly said.

“Oh? What is it?” He frowned and just closed the book, setting it down on the bed. Louis was unsure, anxious about what Harry might think. Would he think differently about Louis? Because of this secret he had kept from him from the start?

The pirate tried to ignore the sharp pang to his chest that maybe Harry would want to leave the ship as soon as possible. Now that they’ve established where they sat in each other’s lives, it was almost impossible to imagine them parting. Louis doesn’t want to even think of the slight possibility that he might lose the boy altogether. He hated admitting it, hated being sentimental but this Prince, this one person was slowly changing his mind. Maybe sentimentality isn’t just weakness, maybe it’s also strength. Louis wanted to believe it, but he was too afraid of how Harry might react.

He cleared his throat, standing in front of the boy. It was oddly comforting how they both spend most of their time inside his Quarters. He doesn’t even know if Harry has been to anywhere else in his vast ship. He wanted to think that maybe Harry was more comfortable here with him and he would like that to be true.

Harry watched him for a moment as Louis processed his way of telling him. He didn’t exactly think this through, he didn’t prepare anything to say.

_There is nothing that you can say to me that will change how I feel about you._

Louis practically memorized the words Harry spoke to him on the day they expressed themselves to each other. He can hear him say it, and the words kept echoing in his head like a song. The pirate was now just staring intently at Harry.

The Prince couldn’t contain his curiosity and the way Louis watched him only sparked his interest. “Louis? You were going to tell me something?”

He snapped out of his thought. “Right. Of course.” He looked down to his feet, the boy looking up at him and just observed the way he acted. He paused, still unsure. “Since you’re on your way to land, I might as well spit it out now.” He avoided looking at his eyes, not wanting things to just be blurted out as he kept his voice quiet.

Harry nodded as he shifted in his seat, noticing the slight change of the atmosphere. He didn’t know where this was going, but from the way Louis is behaving, he should probably just lend his ear.

 _Panic._ That was the first sudden change in Louis. He hid it quite well, but he was afraid that if the waves were quiet outside, Harry would be able to hear how fast his pulse was racing. How could he possibly tell him? In what world can Louis admit this in a calm and easy way? Harry might as well just run, but run where? They were surrounded by water and are still days away from their destination. One week into this... _relationship_ of theirs and Louis was already panicking. He’s going to ruin this, he really is. He doesn’t want to, though. This, whatever he was going to tell Harry, it might ruin what they currently have. He wasn’t about to let that happen. He couldn’t.

_And he won’t._

“Erm,” he closed his eyes briefly and tilted his head, breathing deeply through his nose as he thought to himself. Harry was a bit suspicious now, but he let him do the talking. It was important for either of them to open up to each other and it was mostly Harry who did. This was just him giving the pirate a chance to share what he was thinking about. “I... want to talk about the Dark One, with you.” Louis finished.

_He couldn’t._

The Prince blinked at him. “Oh.” He looked at him with a perplexed expression. “Okay, then. What about him?” He had an unsure smile as he reached over to wrap his hands around Louis’ wrists.

He was still panicking inside his mind. _Really?_ Talk about Rumpelstiltskin? He thought to himself. If only he could roll his eyes at himself right now, he would. A part of him wanted to just admit the truth to Harry and also own up to his selfish decision to slow down the course. But he was afraid that Harry would hate him and he would never want to just not have him.

“What would you like to know?” Louis looked down at Harry’s hands, one was around his normal wrist and the other was touching the metal stump that held his hook in place.

This made Harry grow suspicious. He was about to tell him something, Harry wasn’t stupid. The pirate used the words ‘spit it out’ which meant that he was keeping it to himself for a while now. Harry wondered what he was going to tell him instead of this discussion about the most powerful wizard in the realm. He let it go, though. He wanted Louis to tell him at his own time, but why can’t he just tell him? It’s only Harry.

He hummed, smiling at the pirate. “Has he always been like that?”

Louis’ lips parted as he thought about it. He shrugged, only with a short lift of his right shoulder. “Maybe not. All Dark Ones were once people. Human just like us.”

“I’ve never read anything about Dark Ones before.”

The corner of Louis’ lips curled up a bit to show a hint of a grin. He could remember himself as a child, flipping through his books about wizards and witches, trying to understand what they meant. Louis wished he understood more. “I did. Dark Ones originated from centuries ago. Only one of them exist at a time. I’ve never heard of an instance where two Dark Ones could exist at the same time.”

Harry made a sound of interest, nodding along. “How can someone turn into a Dark One?”

The pirate chuckled at him. “Planning, are we?”

The Prince shook his head. “No! Dark magic is very dangerous and I’m not going to associate myself with it.” He huffed, a tiny glint in his eyes to show that he was playful, although his words made Louis’ smile fade a bit.

“Right, well, who would want that, hm?” Louis muttered to himself. “Anyway, to answer your question, I read somewhere that Dark Ones get unique ways into becoming one. A normal person would have to perform a hidden ritual to summon the current Dark One and they have to... kill that. Then, they do something in order to show that they’re committed into the task of being a Dark One. A sacrifice, as you may.” He told him, scanning his expression.

Harry frowned. “What did the current Dark One have to do?”

The pirate bit his lip. “I... don’t know.”

“What about past Dark Ones? Do you know what they’ve done?”

Louis thought that this was a bad idea, sharing his knowledge about Dark Ones. “The Dark One before the current one had to betray the one person he was the most loyal to; his friend.” He muttered. “He killed his friend’s newborn child and set their house on fire after killing the previous Dark One with its dagger.” He raised his brows and let out a sigh through his nose. “Heard that story when I was a kid.”

It wasn’t a surprise to see a grimace on the boy’s face. “That is horrifying. How can anyone do that to someone they’re close to?” He shook his head, thinking of the innocent child that got caught up in a situation that he or she didn’t deserve to be in.

He was silent for a bit, looking down at his hand and watched the way his finger caressed the boy’s hand. “The things that dark magic can do to people are horrifying. If I’m being honest, I do believe that having dark magic is easier than having light. It’s very easy to give into desire and temptation, Harry. Believe me, I know.” He locked their gazes. “It’s very easy for light magic to turn into dark, but I trust that you won’t be like that when you actually get the hang of this.”

Harry stared off into the space between them. There were dozens of emotions flashing across his face. Louis could see the fear in them and just reached over to run his fingers through the boy’s hair. “You’ll be fine.”

“You make it sound so easy.” The Prince chuckled, looking up at him again with a sheepish smile. “I need to be able to know how to use magic before I get to his castle. Characters in my books learn magic for years. It’s impossible to do that in two weeks, Louis. Nearly one week left.” He looked exhausted.

As he should. Harry has barely slept lately. Louis always tried to ask him to go to bed and he does. He just doesn’t let himself drift off to sleep since thoughts about the destination kept him awake. The pirate hasn’t properly slept in a while since he’s been busy with directing orders to his crew day and night. Harry mostly stayed in the room, only going outside to prepare and ration food for them. Sleep was barely a part of his vocabulary lately.

“I know.” _Here he goes._

Harry tried to hold it in, but he couldn’t. “Will you come with me?”

Louis’ heart stopped. He should’ve seen this coming. He should’ve expected the boy to ask him since they’ve finally decided to be together.

He blinked rapidly at him, parting his lips to say something. “Harry... I...”

“I know it’s a lot, but I just don’t think I can do it alone. I need your help.” Harry softly said.

“Harry...”

“But I think it’ll be a good thing! You know your ways with a sword and if I figure out what I can do with this magic I have, it’ll go okay.”

“Harry.”

He shrugged. “Of course, I would have to make another deal with him and if that doesn’t work out, then-”

“I can’t.”

Those two words were enough to make the Prince stop talking. Disappointment flooded his body and he looked away from the Captain. He slowly nodded. “Okay, well, I apologize for my sudden request.”

Louis audibly breathed out through his nose, grabbing Harry’s hand before he could pull away. “It’s not that I don’t want to go, I just... it’s _him_.” He shook his head, but it was too late to take back what he said. “I mean, I can’t face the Dark One again. You know what he did.” He said the last bit a little too quiet but enough to be heard.

The Prince felt guilty of not having thought of what Louis might’ve went through. He realized that it must’ve been a traumatic experience for him, and suddenly felt awful. “I’m so sorry, I should’ve thought of that first.” He quickly said.

The pirate just shook his head. “He’s just too powerful and I don’t know what might happen if I do come face to face with him.” He told him, letting go of his hand to cup his cheek. “If I could, I would convince you not to go against him.”

“What?” He immediately asked. “No, I’m _not_ going to leave Belle alone in there!”

“You’ve never faced him before, you don’t know what it’s like-”

“You don’t think I’m aware of that fact?” He pulled away from Louis entirely.

The pirate glared, now annoyed but he still remained calm. “Making him your enemy is not an option. Making him your anything is already very dangerous.” He informed. “It’s best if you don’t have contact.”

“And leave Belle? _That_ is not an option.” Harry interjected. “Maybe it is easy to just leave, but I’d rather do it the hard way than never try at all. For all I know, the Queen might kill me the minute I’m back on land.”

“What are you going to do? You can’t even control your magic, how are you going to stand a chance?” He snapped.

Harry had a surprised look on his face, taking a step back. Hook realized what he said and how awful it sounded. Before he could even speak, Harry interrupted by trying his best to smile. “You said you believed in me.” The type of upset that Harry displayed on his face was just a weak smile to mask the pain.

The pirate just looked around the room to calm himself down. “I do, but I’m being realistic here.”

Harry just chuckled, pain flashing across his face. “Oh, realistic. Well, thank you for having faith in me. You know, you could have just told me that you don’t want to fight alongside me, I would have understood.” He said. “I’m going, Louis. I’m taking Belle home and you can either come with me or have faith in me going by myself.”

“I wasn’t saying that I don’t have faith in you,”

“But that was what you were implying!” Harry was upset and still managed to keep a smile on his face. “You can’t have it both ways, Louis. I’m still going, you can’t stop me. Belle needs me,”

“And I don’t?” He couldn’t help but say.

Harry’s jaw dropped, still shocked by the words leaving his mouth. “That is not fair. You’re not trapped inside a castle being tortured. You’re free from the Dark One and you can’t compare your situation with hers!”

Louis clenched his jaw and kept hearing the word ‘selfish’ in his head. He felt so selfish, but this was too dangerous for Harry to be involved in. Harry doesn’t even know if Belle was alive or not, Louis was being an arsehole, but he was only balancing the probability. Knowing Rumpelstiltskin, Belle wouldn’t have lasted a week or even a day.

The moment Harry let out a shaky breath was when Louis saw how much he hurt him. Louis kept doing things to prevent him from getting hurt when he was the one giving him pain. His face softened when Harry turned around and left the room. He couldn’t take the shift of atmosphere anymore, it was too much for the boy.

The Captain palmed his forehead and let out an exasperated breath through his mouth. Great, now the only person he could actually talk to, won’t talk to him. That is just fantastic.

He went outside and breathed in the sea breeze. He could see Harry from a distance, talking to a few men. He felt awful for the things he said and somehow wanted to apologize. It was quite amazing how Louis felt the need to say sorry to only one person ever. He never apologized to anyone else. Maybe because he just wasn’t sorry about what he did. Seeing the hurt on Harry’s face changed all of that. Louis did warn the Prince about himself, so Harry practically knew what he was getting himself into.

He decided to let Harry cool off for a while as he made his way back to the helm and was met with Liam’s waiting expression.

“That was quick.” He muttered. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

Louis shook his head. “I couldn’t.”

He sighed. “I get it, but you have to tell him before he leaves this ship,”

He gave the man a curt nod and just glanced at the deck where the boy was talking to his men.

Suddenly, his lookout shouted, “Incoming!” and started to ring the bell. Louis sprinted in action and went to the railings, the vicious breeze seemed to go faster and made his hair fly backwards.

The Captain took his spyglass out and looked into it. “What am I looking at?!” He yelled back to his look-out as he closed one eye and looked into the eyepiece with the other.

“Bean portal, Captain!”

He cursed under his breath as a spinning hole started to form on the surface of the ocean. Louis turned around and slid the spyglass back into place before tossing it to Liam while walking past him. The man easily caught the object and opened it, wanting to see what it was. The first mate’s eyes widened as a ship started to emerge from the hole. The familiar mermaid skeleton nailed into the front of the shop was the first thing he saw. He slowly put down the spyglass. “Is that... _Clock?_ ”

Louis snorted. “Obviously. He had to grace us with his obnoxious appearance.” He sarcastically said. “Wonder what he needs now.”

“Another question; where did he get the bean?”

“Jack, probably. That son of a bitch.” Louis huffed. “Always held a grudge against me for killing that giant before he did.” He crossed his arms calmly as he watched the ship tip over and gain its balance back on the ocean. The impact made the waves move abruptly, swaying the Jolly Roger a bit but all of them kept their balance.

Harry, however, could barely keep up as he held onto the staircase railing while climbing up to the helm area. “What’s going on?” He raised his choice as he looked at the ship that was making its way towards theirs. “Why aren’t we trying to escape?”

Louis glanced at him, trying his best not to go over and ask if he was alright. There was a slight feeling of worry inside him, but he seemed fine. Despite their argument earlier, he seemed alright so Louis decided not to bring it up yet. He didn’t want to keep upsetting him. “Oh, let them come. Clack has been waiting for a chance to speak to me.” He snickered, having one last look at the ship nearing them before taking a few steps backwards and turning around to start walking, making his way to the helm. “Let’s give him what he wants.”

“Uh, what if he wants to, you know, _kill us?”_ Liam started off in a soft voice and then ended with a forceful one. “You did steal a potion from him.”

“Ah, yes, the potion.” He recalled. “Yes, I’ve thought of that.” He pretended to think about it. “Oh, come on. Let’s have a chat first.” He laughed. “Full speed ahead!” He yelled out and the men went back to work.

Liam as well, went with the crew and the Prince approached the Captain. “Is this a good idea?”

“It’s not, but he won’t leave me alone if I don’t speak to him. Make him think that he’s one step ahead of me, you know?” He said. “Might as well hear what he has to say. Like civilized pirates.” He teased, just wanting to see him smile again.

The corner of the boy’s lips curled upwards, giving him a small smile. “Quite ironic, your words. Civilized pirates.” He chuckled. “So who is this Clock? You mentioned him before and even tried to shoot at his ship. You said that he’s trying to avoid you, why approach you now?” He said, watching the said ship sail towards them.

“I think he wants his things back. Kind of embarrassing to be outsmarted by me.” He boasted, watching the smaller ship compared to the Jolly Roger.

When the other ship neared theirs, Louis can already see Clock, holding his infamous pocket watch. “Took you long enough.” Louis called out, skipping the stairs by jumping from the helm area to the deck. “Looking for the potion, I believe, Mr. Greeves?”

Clock gave him a bitter smile. “You’ve had your fun, Hook. Now, give me back what’s mine.” He drew his sword, the sound of it rang in Harry’s ears. “The potion.”

Louis laughed, not taking his sword out even though the other pirate was threatening him already. He just clasped his hand and hook together and pointed at him. “Nope, not today.” He claimed and made the other man glare at him. “But! I’m willing to propose a new deal.” He said quite enthusiastically.

Clock scoffed. “You and your bloody deals!” He made a move to draw his sword, and it made the rest of Louis’ crew to draw theirs from his threat. Both ships had their swords out, ready to create a fight. “Nobody ought to have one of your deals, you conniving cunt!” He spat.

Louis smiled menacingly, crossing his arms, Harry just stepped backward to try and make himself invisible. “You know what happened the last time you pointed a sword at me, Mr. Greeves.”

Clock looked around the crowd and spotted the Prince. His expression twisted in confusion, pointing his sword at the boy. Louis’ smile dropped as he looked towards where Clock was looking. He knew who Harry was and it made the boy tense up.

“Prince Harry Styles of the North.” He had an amused smile on his face, addressing Harry’s kingdom. The Prince doesn’t think the name of his kingdom has ever been mentioned while he was in the ship. This means that the pirate really did know him and has been to his homeland.

“Do we know each other?” He hesitantly asked.

Clock paused, eyeing him for a second before he tells his men to stand down. Louis furrowed his brows, puzzled as he looked at Harry. The Prince was clueless, watching as the other people from the other ship withdrew their swords. “No, we don’t.” He said, observing him from head to toe. “But I could recognize those curls and eyes anywhere. You’re Anne’s son.”

Harry swallowed. The man knew his mother. But how? She was only a peasant girl before she met his father. “Who are you? How do you know my mother?” He asked before walking past the people in front of him to near Clock. Louis didn’t make any move to stop him even though he disliked the thought of this man being near Harry.

Clock just wavered a bit, as if he was hesitating. “I’m Sylvor Greeves. I was your mother’s mentor.” He told him.

“Mentor? For what?” Harry was confused, his mother was a miller’s daughter and that was it. She did not fight in any wars to require any sort of mentoring.

Sylvor had his eyes in slits. “Potion-making.”

Harry’s shoulders tightened. _Potions? For magic?_ His mother had magic, and she hid it all these years from him. Unless this man was lying to him, in which case, he hardened the look on his face to look determined. “My mother is not a witch.”

Clock had a sly grin on his face. “Leave us. Tell your men to withdraw, and I will show you something. Alone, if you will.” He said before his men stepped further away from them, some made a plank between the two ships so he can cross over. He needed answers, and maybe he can get them here. So he walked forward and stood before the railing.

“Harry,” Louis stepped forward, grabbing his arm. “Don’t.”

He let out a sigh and tilts his head to look at him. “It’s fine, Louis. He won’t hurt me.” He assured him, turning back to the plank but Louis squeezes his arm, not enough to hurt him but to make him alert.

“You’re not seriously thinking of going with a man who needs something I stole from him? You do realize that he can take you as hostage?” He quietly asked, glancing at Clock who was just watching the exchange.

Harry locked his gaze on the Captain. “It’s okay. He’s not going to hurt me, he knows my mother.” He assured him again. “Probably better than I did.” He regretfully added, trailing off. “I know what I’m doing, Louis.”

He hesitated, but seeing the determination on his face, all Louis could see is a hero. So he lets go of his hand, helping him over the ledge and onto the plank. Louis watched him remain in balance, like a true graceful Prince. Good thing that he still remembered his dance lessons.

Once Harry was over the ship, he felt cautious as he followed Sylvor into the smaller vessel. The man walked him to a room and turned on the lamp.

Meanwhile, Louis clenched his jaw and remained where he was standing when Harry crossed. Liam went to him. “Captain, permission to attack?”

Captain Hook huffed. “No, don’t. Harry’s in there, no harm has to come to him.” Louis persistently said. “Man the helm, I’ll signal you if something is wrong.”

Liam did as he was told and Louis just kept on watching the door that Harry went into. He’d never felt so worried in his life.

Harry looked around in the room and just saw many different potions. It cannot be, his mother is pure and very kind. How can she be associated with potions? But honestly, Harry should know better as to judge anyone’s character, considering that he might have fallen for a feared man. _Fallen?_

“Don’t look so cautious, boy. Your mother may have learned spells and potions but she was a good one.” Sylvor told him. “Good, in every sense of the word. The Good Queen. Good student, good woman, good mother.” He paused. “A good witch.”

“Are there such things as good witches nowadays?” Harry let out a sad chuckle. “In a world full of dark magic, how probable is having good around here?”

“For one, you have pure light magic inside you.” Clock poured himself a drink. Are all pirates heavy drinkers? Is it bad to generalize an image?

Harry looked surprise. “How did you—”

“You have Anne’s blood flowing inside you. How could I not know?”

Harry thought about his words very carefully. His mother really did have a magic, and learned potion-making with him, Sylvor Greeves. “If you can make potions, does that mean you have magic in you?”

“Potion-making doesn’t require any magic, unless stated. Just the right ingredients and a good book.” Clock told him.

“The potion that Louis took, you can make another, then.” Harry told him.

Clock gave him a puzzled look. “I told you, it requires the right ingredients. Something in that potion, there can only be one of that. It’s impossible to retrieve another.”

“Of what? What’s so important about a small vial that you are willing to kill everyone in the Jolly Roger?” He asked him.

Sylvor took a swig of his liquor. “A single drop of blood from the last Light One.” He informed.

Harry furrowed his brows. _The last Light One?_ “What’s the potion for?”

“It’s unpredictable, that is why I need it back.” He told him, looking at Harry’s chest. His gaze made Harry anxious, maybe he can see the shell necklace that Louis gave him. “Hook was ready to propose a deal, are you willing to do the same?” He asked.

“It’s not mine to give.”

“It was never his, to begin with!” He snapped and slammed his drink on the table, crushing the base of the glass in the process. Harry eyed the blood that was starting to mix with the liquor he had.

Harry narrowed his eyes. “You will not hurt me.”

Sylvor glared at him, his nose flaring in anger. “And why will I not take the perfect opportunity of doing so right now?”

“Because you loved my mother and you’d never hurt the only piece left of her,” Harry answered, making his expression soften.

Sylvor wavered, but did not deny or confirm it. “Your father replaced her within two years, I could never do so in sixteen, from the day I lost her as she left the village to be wed to a Prince and to the point of her death. Sixteen years, no lady could replace her. And your father found another in two years.” He bitterly said.

Harry frowned, unaware that there had been a man in love with his mother during her peasant years. “My father was doing the right thing for the kingdom.”

“Your father betrayed her.” He spat. “He must never have even wept on her death bed. Did not even allow anyone from the village who knew her, to see her body be descended six feet under.” He told him. “He would not let me pass your gates just to see the woman that I love, do you even know how that felt?” He challenged. “To have the person you love be taken away from you?”

Harry looked down, thinking of everyone he had lost. Belle, his mother, he might even lose Louis soon. People that he loved? “Yes, sir. I do believe that I have.”

Sylvor was slightly stunned, in disbelief that a Royal like him would feel hardships. “Your father is cruel. He’s just like the woman he made his wife two years after my dear Anne perished.”

“My father was good, he did and sacrificed many things for the benefit of his kingdom,” Harry insisted, his fist balling up.

“That’s how people wanted you to see him as. Don’t you see?” Sylvor urged. “Look closer, you’ll understand what you’re always meant to do.” He said.

He bit his lip. “What... what is the prophecy behind me?” He asked.

The question made the atmosphere shift and Sylvor was taken aback. He wasn’t quite sure how to answer the question, since the boy was not ready.

“I will propose a deal.” He told him. “I will tell you the prophecy and all that you need to do, in exchange, you give me back the potion I acquire from Captain Hook.” Sylvor gave him options.

Harry could say yes, and he could find out everything. He could be aware of what he has to do. Things wouldn’t be a problem for him anymore and it would definitely make a lot of things easier.

But, he didn’t. _He couldn’t._ There was a reason why Louis would simply not give the potion up; it has some importance to him. Harry was not about to steal or try to convince Louis to give the potion to Sylvor. Harry hesitated at first, but quickly recovered and committed to a decision. “No.” He persisted. “I’m not going to do that.”

Sylvor frowned and sighed. “Well, consider my mouth sealed.” He declared. “You should be careful around Captain Hook. He’s far more dangerous than he lets on.” He warned him, gesturing towards the door, indicating him to leave. “You’re very loyal very quickly, Prince Harry.” _Just like his mother._

Harry just blinked at him, unfazed. He said nothing as he left the room after taking one last glance at the potions and equipment that Sylvor had. He left and instantly saw Louis by the plank on the other side. Louis let out a relieved breath as his lips curled up into a smile, his eyes on Harry the whole time as the boy climbed over and walked the plank to reach the other ship.

Louis almost wrapped his arms around him, but settled with curling his hand around Harry’s wrist and squeezing. Harry, of course, appreciated the gesture. Sylvor reappeared and threw another bean into the sea. “You’ll be hearin’ from me soon, Hook. Someday.” He called out, Louis just glared at him while he had the Prince close to him. The bean opened another portal and his ship sailed into it, disappearing the moment his vessel was inside.

The Jolly Roger was alone once again, and Louis just looked at Harry. He couldn’t help but put his hand on the boy’s shoulders, concern etched on his face. He didn’t even care that Clock and his crew left abruptly and proceeded to tend with the Prince. “Did he hurt you? Touch you? Anything?” He examined his face and body. “Did you drink anything he gave you?”

“Louis,” he let out a soft laugh, but that did not ease how tensed the pirate’s shoulders were. “I’m fine. He didn’t do anything, I promise. He just... he talked about my mother.” He informed. “He was in love with her, during her time as a peasant girl.”

Louis scoffed. “Clock? In love? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Harry evidently frowned, but tried hiding it by continuing to talk. “She had magic, and learned spells and potion making.” He quietly said.

“Did he offer you anything?” He asked, his gaze was locked with his.

Harry hesitated and just nodded. “Information about a prophecy for the potion you stole from him.” He confessed and looked down at the ground.

“And?”

He just smiled at him. “Would they leave if I accepted?”

Louis just stared at him for a second and relief washed over him. “Good, that’s good.” He sighed.

Harry looked around the ship, noticing how everyone proceeded in working, the two of them were left alone. He looked back at Louis who was just waiting for him to talk. “Listen, Louis, I’m very sorry for all the things I said. I never should have asked you to—”

“Hey, shh...” Louis stopped him. “I said some shitty things as well. Naturally, you know?” He tried making him smile, and the Prince did. “Which is why I understand if you don’t want this anymore.”

The Prince frowned and rested his palm on the man’s cheek. He didn’t even push the boy away and kept their eyes on each other. Louis didn’t mind that they were out in the open, so it made Harry feel warm inside. “It’s not like that. I do want this.”

The burden of a secret, it was eating Louis alive. He wanted to just tell him everything and never have to lie ever again. Not to him, at least. “If you’re so sure.” He took the hand from his cheek and held it in his own.

Harry looked at their hands, the three of them. “Sylvor mentioned something about the potion you stole. He said that it was made with a drop of blood from the last Light One. What did he mean by that? Does light magic no longer exist?”

Louis pressed his lips together. “No one knows who the last Light One is, but it’s common knowledge that they’re no longer alive. Although, the Light One is gone, light magic is still around. But dark magic is more common nowadays. Think of the Light One like the Dark One; he’s the most powerful wizard that has dark magic, but he’s not the only one who has it.” He softly caressed Harry’s hand, absentmindedly. “The blood taken from the last Light One was inside a bottle locked in the chest buried in the cove we went to.” He said. “I was the one who brought it to Clock, it was a price for some favor I owed him.” He sighed.

“But... the cave drains light magic. Surely the blood of the Light One would have it.” Harry added.

Louis gave him a shrug. “I don’t know how that is possible, but Clock tested it out. It did have magic in it. It’s the only one of a kind ingredient for this one and Clock desperately needed it to test out his potion. Unfortunately, he hasn’t tested it. So the outcome is very unpredictable.” Louis remembered how Clock and him were once acquaintances—the closest word for it, they are pirates after all—and how he owed him a favor in order to have an agreement to not bother one another. Of course, Louis felt the urge to steal the potion upon knowing what it does.

“What does the potion do?”

Captain Hook had an anxious look on his face. “Come on, I’ll show you.” He pulled him along as they walked back to his quarters. Harry was slightly nervous because upon seeing his reaction to his question, he can tell that this potion is very important, and unlike any other potions he ever encountered. They both went inside and Harry settled himself on the bed, watching as Louis closed the door and went to the cupboard. He pulled out a chest, a smaller one and took a key from the drawers. He opened the chest and pulled out a small vial with black liquid inside. Louis stared at the vial and sighed, presenting it to Harry. “The Conissaunce.” He addressed and gave the vial to Harry to hold. Before Harry could even ask, Louis answered for him. “It has the power to alter memories, either delete or retrieve.”

Harry’s eyes widened and he looked up at the man. “Memories?”

Louis nodded guiltily. He stole it for a reason that he can never confess to Harry. He can’t tell him the truth, he was too afraid of what the Prince may think. “I wanted to give it to you when you mentioned that you lost your memories and I... had different plans for this potion, but now that I’ve evaluated how this potion can be... more beneficial for you,” he brushed his finger against Harry’s rosy cheek, “I want you to have it instead.” He decided.

Harry gaped at him in surprise, looking at the potion. “Louis... I can’t just take this from you. Whatever you plans are, you have to do what’s best for you.” He insisted.

“And the best for me is you,” he said in one breath, looking at him with those blue eyes that he can never resist. “I want you to have it. Remember your lost week, and find out what you stepmother is hiding from you.” He encouraged him, making the boy stand on his feet to give the pirate a look of concern.

“Louis, I can’t accept this, I—”

“You chose not to find out your prophecy because of me. You could already know by now, but you decided not to. So I can keep that.” His gaze dropped to the potion in the Prince’s hands. “Now, I’m giving it to you. I want you to remember.”

“What about your plans?” Harry frowned, watching the black liquid move around inside the small glass.

Louis gave him a half-smile. “All in good time, Prince Harry of the North.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss on his forehead. Harry smiled, very grateful to have someone as selfless and brave as Louis. _His Louis._

His heart softened with his words, clutching the vial in his hand. “I don’t know how to thank you, honestly.” His voice was low, and careful.

“You can thank me by remembering.”

“But, Louis... this potion is one of a kind.” Harry reminded him. “I don’t want you to regret giving it to me.” He softly said.

Louis frowned and just watched as Harry nervously stares at the potion in his hands. He could feel that he was hesitating. “I’ve told you before. Once I’ve made a decision, it’s very hard for me to change my mind.”

Harry nodded, smiling a bit as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on Louis’ lips. “Thank you,” he mumbled between their lips, kissing him once again for good measure.

Louis was content, his arm around Harry’s waist as the boy kissed him softly. He can never admit it, but he’d do anything for this boy. Even face the Dark One again? He wasn’t sure.

Harry pulled away and sat down on the bed, crossing his legs underneath himself. “So, how does it work? Do I drink it?”

Louis smiled fondly over the Prince, but it quickly faded from how Harry worded his thoughts. “Yes, you drink. But it’s dangerous since no one has ever made a potion like this. It can’t have trials since, well, it’s the only one of its kind. We don’t know what might happen.” He cautiously said, a little hesitant now that he thought about it.

The Prince just looked at the liquid inside the glass vial, already wanting to remember everything. “Only one way to find out, then.” He opened the potion and gave Louis one last glance before downing it up to the very last drop. When he finished drinking, he doesn’t feel anything. He looked at Louis with confusion, but Louis had a concentrated expression on his face.

“Louis, what happened?”

Louis opened his mouth to answer, but he was cut off by a very high tone, similar to what he heard at the cove before Louis disappeared from his line of sight. Harry wasn’t even aware of how he started screaming in pain and drop to the floor with a thud, clutching his head. His eyes were screwed shut and all Louis could do was stand by and watch. As much as he wanted to comfort Harry, he can’t touch him. Or it might break the process, whatever it is. It hurt him to see Harry in pain, but he must remember.

Harry was gasping for air as he saw images and fragments of words, piecing them together.

_He rose from the ground and gave the Queen an intimidating look. His hooded green eyes pierced through the Evil Queen’s, and she only grinned menacingly. “Perfect,” she whispered under her breath, eyeing the Prince from head to toe. He’s no longer Prince Harry. Now, he was just one of her pawns. Harry found himself walking back to the castle, and the Queen watched him. She laughed to herself, kicking the bitten apple as she strode to her carriage. Before she climbed inside, she turned to one of the guards. “I want posters held up in every corner of the kingdom.” She told him. “The Prince has gone rogue.” The last sentence was chilling, as she climbed inside and sat down elegantly._

Harry screamed in agony, his head hurting from how his memories were being restored, as if digging themselves back into his head. He sees himself walk inside the Throne room, seeing his father on his usual seat. _He walked inside, through the tall double-doored room. The sound of the doors opening were still heard. His movements were full of confidence as he drew the sword of a bowing knight and started to make his way towards the unsuspicious King. He yelled and pierces the sword through the King, the sound of the sword impaling itself inside the man he called his father was the only sound he could hear. He saw the life drain out of his father’s eyes and nobody stopped him. None of the knights loyal to the King stopped the Prince from killing his father. Their loyalties shifted to the Evil Queen now._

Then, he saw the Evil Queen later that night, and she stood by the bloodied body of her dead husband. _“Anne would be delighted to be reunited with the King.” Her laugh echoed in the room. There wasn’t any remorse found in the Prince under a spell. Only a stoic look as he held the sword, decorated with blood. The Queen walked towards him and held him by the chin, Harry barely moved against her will and just stared at her eyes. Her evil grey eyes, they spoke volumes. “You can’t defeat me, Snow White.” She whispered, sneering at him. “No one defeats an evil rage, not even you. Every bit of your magic will be mine.” She claimed and pressed the tip of her pointer fingernail against his chest. “I’ll eat your heart out if I have to,” she slowly said, and a smile appeared on her face. “There will be a feast once I’ve caught you. A feast upon your heart.” At this point, Harry wasn’t sure if the feast she was referring to is a metaphor or a literal meaning. Either way, it sent terror to the boy_

_“But now, I want to play games. A dark curse is coming and you won’t be able to stop it. I’ll take everything you love, one by one until you don’t have anything anymore. And you will rot slowly, and slowly,” she neared her face to his. If Harry wasn’t under a spell, he’d be shaking in fear by now. “I will kill you someday, Snow White. But for now, we need to accomplish the prophecy.” She laughed, the sound echoing as the images of his memory started to shift yet again, making the people in his vision look distorted._

He saw the forest in a rapid pace, heard the sound of horses and their horseshoes clanging against the ground. _He heard the yells of Knights and guardsmen that hunted for him. The Queen didn’t want to bring him back to the palace just yet, but she wanted to make him fear her. Then he felt like falling inside something deep and just like that, his vision of his memories were gone._

Prince Harry collapses onto the ground and started shaking. Louis couldn’t take it anymore as he dropped to his knees to be by his side, regretting to even giving Harry the potion and his heart started to thump. He pressed his ear against the boy’s chest and sighed in relief when the soft beating was still there. He didn’t even notice the tears in his eyes as he carried Harry back on the bed. He was not expecting that to happen, at all. Loud knocks on the door were heard and Louis granted them permission to come inside. Seven people from the crew including Liam entered, seeing the collapsed state of the Prince.

Liam was puzzled. “We heard screaming, what happened here? Did the—”

“No, don’t.” Louis stopped him from saying anything more. Harry could still be awake and aware of the things around him. “He drank Sylvor’s potion.” He said.

Liam’s shoulders dropped, looking at him in disbelief. “For Heaven’s _sake_ , tell me you didn’t—”

“Smee, not now.” He said through gritted teeth, glancing at the men around the sleeping boy. “Let him sleep.”

Louis stayed by his side the whole time, keeping him warm with blankets. He was starting to grow anxious when it was taking Harry too long to wake up. This was all of a sudden, he didn’t expect Harry to just collapse like that.

Louis doesn’t even know if the Prince remembered anything or if the potion didn’t work. Or if he’ll ever wake up again. If he doesn’t, Louis doesn’t think he can ever forgive himself from giving the potion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment :( i'm kinda hesitant on continuing this story. let me know your thoughts xxx


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: a part of louis' past is revealed, with his unnamed peasant father and the eight-year-old version of the pirate Captain. it is mentioned that louis' father is the village's coward.at present, the Jolly Roger sails to the South where the Dark One's castle is located. harry is still unable to control his powers. louis is still unable to reveal all the truths to harry. the pirate shares his knowledge about past Dark Ones to answer the princes questions. the two pair quarrel over the prince's desire to leave the ship to face the Dark One to take belle back. sylvor greeves (clock) bean portals to the Jolly Roger to take back the potion that louis stole. The pirate refuses, but clock recognizes harry as the child of the woman he was in love with. he reveals that he mentored anne with spells and potion making for magic. louis offers the stolen potion to harry, a potion made from the blood of the last Light One. harry drinks the potion and falls in a deep sleep, after flashes of memories appeared before his eyes.
> 
> TW: mentions of rape/sexual assault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!!!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT !!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> i'll explain here how royalty works in the story, to make it clear.
> 
> So, in this story, there are two parts of the realm that the characters live in; the North and the South. Prince Harry is the son of King Solomon and the late Queen Anastasia, or best known as Queen Anne. His parents are the rulers of the North, which makes Harry a Prince of the North. But, the North is divided in two kingdoms; King Solomon's kingdom (Mist Haven) and Queen Aurora's kingdom (Mallow Rose). With Queen Aurora, she has four sons and no daughter. The two kingdoms formed alliances, so it's a peaceful kingdom.
> 
> The South, however, isn't very peaceful with their scattered kingdoms and numerous Kings and Queens even though their land isn't as big as the North. Also with the Dark One being a fellow resident of the South.
> 
> Royals are the ones who are rich and powerful. Peasants are the ones who live in villages or serve in the palace.

Four days have passed and Harry was still unconsciously lying in bed. They were slowly nearing Rumpelstiltskin’s castle. The one who wanted to go to that place is under a deep sleep. Louis had no idea what to do now, and it was starting to haunt him. He was currently standing by the bed, watching the slow rising of Harry’s chest. Louis couldn’t bare to even leave the room now, and always had Liam to deliver food by his table. They were always left untouched, though, to Smee’s dismay.

As much as Louis would like to think that this was all Clock’s doing, he was still the one who stole the potion without knowing the consequences. His carelessness led to this situation. This was all Louis’ fault. If he hadn’t given that damned potion to Harry, he never would’ve ended up like this. The pirates have never encountered anyone under a deep sleep like this. Liam once told Louis that it may be a sleeping curse, but he doesn’t know what mends a curse like that. Louis never read anything about sleeping curses. He mostly read about historical things, not much about curses and spells. Not even potions.

Louis should have thought things through before giving that potion to Harry. He knew how eager the boy was to remember his lost week.

“Has he shown any signs of waking up?” Liam barely startled Louis when he appeared by his side.

Captain Hook swallowed. “His pulse, his breath. That’s it.” He waved his hand off.

“Shit,” Smee muttered under his breath.

Louis cleared his throat, and straightened his posture. He turned to Liam with a pained look, which made the other man frown. “I have no fucking idea what to do, Smee. He _has_ to wake up,” he points at Harry. “This is all my fault, I made him take the potion.” His voice broke and so he looked away from Liam, not wanting to seem weak. In all honesty, he is. He felt so helpless just watching the prince deep in his sleep. The Prince appeared to be a corpse, with the pulse and breath saying otherwise.

Liam just sighs, clearly saddened as well. “You couldn’t have known that this would happen. No one could have known. Not even Clock,” he reminded. “Harry will be okay—”

“Well, he doesn’t seem fine to me.” He glared and glanced at the boy again. He sat down on the edge of the bed and slowly reached up to brush his knuckles against his pale skin.

Smee felt like he was in the middle of an intimate moment so he gave Louis a pat on the shoulder and started to walk back outside to take over. He was glad that Louis cared a lot about Harry, but he was worried that it might affect him a lot. _Or too much_. People like Louis who choose to close off the emotional aspect of their lives after a series of unfortunate events, they’re the ones who feel too much all at once. He understood why it may seem like the Prince and the Captain have rushed things, it was because once Louis wanted something; and it was difficult to separate him from that.

Which was why it didn’t surprise him how Louis remained by Harry’s side the whole time. And how the Captain blamed himself for the way the young Prince won’t open his eyes.

Louis took Harry’s hand and recalled how he found the boy in the middle of the forest, passed out with a blow to the head. He felt panicked upon seeing that scene. He physically felt his heart cave in. Louis remembered carrying him over his shoulder and bringing him by the sand and begging him to wake up. Louis remembered the way he felt a huge amount of relief when the boy opened his eyes to reveal those green speckles. And Louis remembered lying to his face, and visibly hid something from him even after the Prince had begged him a couple time to reveal what he was hiding. _Begging,_ he’s been doing that a lot for the past few days. Just sitting on his usual chair and waiting for him to wake up.

Four days of silence from the Prince; and every hour he can feel the boy’s body weaken. Louis can still hear the boy’s screams and he can still see him collapse on the ground. The thought of losing him was eating him alive, Louis isn’t quite sure how he can handle things if Harry ever just perished on his bed this way. It might spark another type of rage inside him, like what happened with Zayn. Or something else might happen, Louis isn’t yet clear on that other option and he didn’t like not knowing.

All these dark thoughts made Louis press the back of Harry’s hand against his cheek, sighing. “You know, we’re only getting started with this... _thing_ between us. It’s very rude to just sleep for four days.” He chuckled, looking at Harry’s face. He imagined Harry grinning and opening his eyes, sitting up to kiss him deeply before letting out a quiet laugh; but Harry remained still. The only way Louis could tell that he’s alive was his slow breaths. His smile faded. “Wake up, Harry. Come on. You can’t do this to me.” He softly said and scooted closer towards the boy, reaching up to touch the ends of his curls. “Not now, please.” He sighed. “I don’t normally beg for anything, but you,” he let out a small laugh. “You are worth a thousand begs.”

Louis has never said such words out loud before. He is unsure if he should be thankful that Harry’s not awake to listen to his ridiculous words, he didn’t know if he could really say all these to the Prince.

It was still silent and Louis could feel the warm air that constantly left Harry’s lungs. He sighed audibly and let go of the boy’s hand, shoulders sagging. “Fine, have it your way then.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on Harry’s lips, feeling them cold against his own. It never occurred to him how much he missed kissing Harry. To feel the boy’s lips move against his. To feel his tongue and hot breath against his mouth. He pulled away, giving Harry a look as he brushed his palm against his hair. He gave out a sigh and stood up, straightening his back and moving to the door. He went outside and saw his men at their posts, doing their jobs. He made his way to Liam, who was manning the helm.

“Captain, nice to see you outside again.” Smee nodded at him. Having only seen him earlier inside his Quarters, but not outside for past few days

Louis just cleared his throat. “One day until his castle.”

“We’ll get there by sundown if we go full speed. You know that.” He urged.

Captain Hook clenched his jaw and huffed. “Not while Harry is asleep. We slow down the course just like I instructed.”

Smee frowned, very anxious about the sleeping prince. Harry may be Louis’ person, but the prince is his friend as well. He felt very worried about what might happen if Harry continued to stay asleep. “With all due respect, Captain, the longer we are on the ocean, the longer Harry will stay asleep. We can find someone on land to wake him up.” Liam advised. “It’s not good that he keeps staying here. By sundown, we can go to a village and find an antidote or something. Anything to wake him up. I will assist you.” He tried to convince him.

The man had a point, which is why Louis contemplated and looked at Liam dead in the eye. “Alright, but Harry can never know that the course was slowed down.” He told Liam, giving him permission to speed things up.

“You slowed down the ship?”

He felt his blood run cold upon hearing a small voice from behind him. His mouth opened, looking at Liam for a second and seeing the shocked look on his face. It was the confirmation he needed before he turned around and was met with a very much awake Prince. Although, the boy had a disappointed and angry look on his face when he stared back at the Captain.

“Harry..” he whispered. _He’s awake_.

The Prince backed away from him when Louis started to walk towards him. So the pirate Captain stopped his movements. Harry shook his head at him, very upset by what he heard. Louis found himself wondering how long he’s been standing there and how much he heard. Or better yet, how he woke up in the first place.

“I can explain, okay? Harry—”

“No, I _don’t_ want to hear it. I can’t believe you did that to me _. To Belle!”_ He spat, clearly angry at him. “You know how much I wanted to reach her and now that I’ve come so close, you’re taking that chance away from me?!” His face was reddening, furious at the pirate.

Now that he remembered everything he needed to remember, _everything suddenly made sense_. Except for how Louis slowed down the course to keep him within the ship. Harry was so confused and angry, but mostly he was disappointed. He thought that this time, Louis would refrain from keeping significant things from him. Harry always gave him a chance to not tell him everything because there are things that the pirate can rightfully keep to himself. But some things like these, things related to Harry. Louis should’ve made him aware.

“I did it for your own good. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” Louis stepped forward and remained in front of the boy. Liam was now watching the scene unfold in front of him, backing away to let them have a domestic.

Harry scoffed. “You can’t decide that for me,” he warned him. “Was the potion just a means of making up for all the secrets you hid?”

“You’ve been asleep for four days, Harry. I was responsible for that. I don’t even bloody know how you even woke up now.” He said through gritted teeth. “The potion put you to sleep, and I thought you’d never be woken up.”

Harry paused. _Four days, he’s been asleep_. He swallowed, even though his mouth gone dry. “It didn’t just put me to sleep. I remember everything now. The memories of... me under a spell are part of my mind now.” He told Louis, which made Louis’ face relax.

Louis could read the thousands of conflict on the boy’s face. He knew that whatever it was that Harry did during his lost week, they are more than awful.

“Harry,”

“No, how could you?” Harry gave him a fuming expression. “You lie and lie and keep so many secrets that I can’t even keep track anymore!” Harry yelled. “I knew what I was getting myself into, I knew that you won’t change overnight because of me. You warned me of that sort.” He muttered the last part. “But Louis, you’re physically depriving me of getting to Belle!” He yelled. “I trusted you to get me there, but it seems like you can’t even keep the end of your bargain!”

From his words, Louis made sure to go up against him and have their faces mere inches apart. “Next time you raise your voice like that, you should remember who you’re talking to.” He lowly said, and it sounded like a threat.

Harry was hurt and couldn’t believe how this was falling apart from one lie. A big lie, in Harry’s defense. So he kept his face straight and cold, mirroring the pirate’s as he looked into his eyes. “Get me to land and maybe there wouldn’t be a next time.” He informed him in a stern quiet voice before turning around and leaving. The pirate was taken aback from his words, his eyes following the boy as he walked away.

When the Prince was gone, Liam walked to his Captain’s side. “How... how did he wake up? He’s been asleep for four days.” Smee asked Louis, and the pirate only looked down. He felt a little bit angry and upset, mostly of things that he couldn’t possibly just list down.

Louis just ignored his question and walked past him to the helm. “I want the course to be set normally. Full-speed ahead!” His voice boomed loudly that the rest of the crew heard him, going to their respective areas. Harry was awake, and Louis still had to figure out how. Now that Harry found out about Louis’ little selfish decision, it won’t be a surprise if the boy decides to go on his own to land. Now, Louis was just anticipating the possibility of it.

The fact that he feared to lose Harry so much was the reason why he’s currently losing him. _Quite ironic, honestly_. He still doesn’t know what Harry remembered after drinking Sylvor’s potion. As much as he wanted to ask, he had great confidence that Harry will refuse to even speak to him. Louis wanted things to be alright, but refused to swallow his pride. So, he just grabbed the helm and started to guide the ship to land.

The crew has warmed up to Harry in the past few months, but they were still loyal to their Captain. It was no surprise that none of them tried helping Harry as he gathered his things and shoved them inside a small sack. He didn’t have much, he only collected his old clothes and knives from the kitchen.

His heart was beating too fast, some images flashed before his eyes. Images of him piercing a sword through his father’s chest. It made him stumble, needing to grab onto the desk that belonged to Louis. He couldn’t forget it now. Harry always tried to believe that the posters were lies, and that he never killed his father. But he did, and he did it while the King sat on his throne. _He’s a murderer_ , and he took the life of the man he called as his father.

Not only did he have to think of that, but the dark curse that his stepmother kept talking about. I’ll take everything you love, one by one. The Queen’s words were echoing inside his mind and he felt like those memories will cause him to go insane. The Lady of the Sea once mentioned a dark curse, although she never elaborated.

He had an overwhelming urge to be held by Louis right now, or he could burst into pieces. Even after what the pirate did, the prince still cared for him the same way. His feelings remained constant and he desperately needed him right now. The more he realized that he can’t handle being with Louis, the more he cried. Tears gathered in his eyes. He couldn’t believe it that things were over, just like that. He had to be strong, he couldn’t possibly afford another breakdown right now. Maybe some will say he’s overreacting, but Louis never should’ve withheld this kind of information. Something that will definitely affect his journey to Rumpelstiltskin’s castle.

Harry did care about Louis, there was no doubt with that. But Belle needed him, and the fact that Louis just brushed that off made Harry feel very disappointed in him. He wished that he could accept it as Louis’ mistake, but he can’t tolerate what he did. Louis tried to delay his arrival on land, after saying that Harry should leave Belle since he won’t have a chance against Rumpelstiltskin. It made him so infuriated, doubted and betrayed, that he felt the need to yell at him. Louis was definitely the kind of man who did not like being yelled at in front of his crew, but Harry was never one to yell in the first place.

How _did_ he wake up? Louis mentioned that he was asleep for four days. Similar to what Niall said, but he wasn’t sure if Niall was lying or not. He didn’t even know what happened to him. Was it really part of the potion for him to be put into a deep sleep? How did he wake up? Harry kept thinking of that.

The moment he realized that objects were levitating around him, they all dropped back to their rightful place, making Harry gasp from the loud thuds. The Prince blinked a couple times before he shook his head, as if doing that would get all the thoughts out of his mind. His magic is being very difficult and unreasonable. Harry really wished that he could just control it. He gathered his things and when he heard footsteps behind him, he just sighed. He recognized the footstep pattern, or maybe he knew that it did not belong to the person he doesn’t wish to see at the moment.

“Did he send you?” Harry quietly asked, folding his clothes neatly.

Smee chuckled. “No, of course not. He’s too proud to face you, or ask me to talk with you. I think you already know that.”

Harry tried to disregard his words, but he knew that they were true. Louis had this certain pride that may cause his undoing. “I’m still leaving, Smee. Belle needs me.”

“I know, I’m only here to tell you that the Captain needs to be understood.”

The Prince frowned, turning around to face him. “Understood? He slowed down the ship to keep me here. Entrapping me inside this room.” He claimed. “What he did was wrong, please understand that I feel upset about it.”

“I’m not saying that what he did was right, but I wish that you could put yourself in his shoes.” Smee insisted. “While you slept, he never left your side. The only time he left this room was this morning, and you so happen to wake as well.” Liam told him. “He blames himself for what happened to you. Even before that, he always thought of your safety. The Dark One is a vicious beast that needs to be contained and tamed, but it simply isn’t possible. That makes him dangerous. More dangerous than anything you will ever encounter and the Captain chooses not to interfere for the sake of his crew.” Liam added. “Louis cares for you, Harry. The mere thought of you facing the one true enemy of many, it drove him to do something very selfish. He should have consulted you first, but he was afraid that you wouldn’t understand his decision.”

Prince Harry bit his lip and listened to his words. “He never should’ve lied to me still. He can’t decide my fate and whereabouts. He may be my... I may care for him, but that doesn’t give him a right to decide for me.” He explained to Liam. “I’m still leaving.”

Smee looked at the ground for a second. “I know that what Louis did hurt you, but please understand—”

“Smee,” he stopped him, frowning. “I know he’s your Captain and that you’re very loyal to him. I have no right to come between you two. I’m only asking you to understand that Louis hurt me. And through what he did, he also hurt Belle.” He informed him. “I’m leaving with or without him. He won’t come along anyway, he’s not like that.” He clenched his jaw, accepting the cold hard truth. “I’m not a possession of his, I’m a person. If he truly cared about me like he said he did, he never would’ve done what he did.”

There was no point for Smee to convince Harry that Louis only did it because he never experienced what he had with Harry before. Louis never had anything like this and he’s still learning. But arguing that, Harry also has never experienced something like that as well, and the boy knows what is right and wrong. It would be a difficult argument, so he just nodded and turned on his heel. Harry watched him leave, a little bit hesitant since he knew how loyal Liam is to Louis. He acknowledged the fact that Smee will do anything to please his Captain.

So at sundown, the Jolly Roger has found a safe spot at the docks. Louis was still sat at his study, writing on his notebook. Busying himself, obviously. He didn’t know what to do while Harry was preparing to leave.

Outside, Liam was handing Harry a sword to keep. He presents it in front of him. “Its steel is unbreakable, one of my best swords aboard.” He told Harry.

The Prince hesitated. “Are you sure you’d like me to have it?” He slowly reached over and both of them held it in their hands.

Liam offered him a smile. “Every good sword must have a name, hm?” He said, not even answering his question and went straight to the point.

Harry only traces the edge of the blade with his fingers. “Misthaven.” He softly said and takes the sword from his hands.

“Misthaven,” Liam nods. “I like it.”

“It’s the nickname of my kingdom.” Harry smiled, reminding himself what this is all for. It’s to fight for his kingdom and the people in it. “The Northern Kingdom, Misthaven.”

“You’ve never mentioned the name of your kingdom before,” Liam pointed out.

“Yes, well,” Harry tilted his head, considering the fact that what the man in front of him said was true. “None of you asked, anyway.”

Liam laughed from his words, making him grin. Even after all the banters and arguments that Harry and Louis had, the prince was glad that him and Liam were still on friendly terms. Although, a part of him believed that Liam was doing this because it’s Captain’s orders. The sun was setting, and the crew gathered around Harry for his departure. Some of the men gave Harry a polite pat on the back or a handshake. Some embraced him in a very pirate way, yelling and cheering the such. Some barely glanced his way, uninterested. Some gave him dirty looks. He tried having a big smile on his face as he bid farewell to each one of them.

Harry couldn’t help his eyes from retracing back to the entrance of the Captain’s Quarters. He tore his eyes away and listened to the men’s outrageous and inappropriate advise once he is on land; some made his face flush. He didn’t know why he was waiting for Louis to come outside and watch him leave after wishing him luck. It made his chest hurt for some reason. He didn’t know if he should cry because whatever he and Louis briefly had, was over. Or if he should grin because he’ll finally see Belle again.

He could see the castle from a distance, but on the tip of a tower amidst the green forest. The Prince almost forgot. He put down his bag and reached for the knot at the back of his neck. He felt an arm grab his, to stop him. He turned and his heart wanted it to be one specific person. He could not help but feel disappointed when it wasn’t.

“Don’t, Your Highness. The Captain gave it to you, he trusts that you’d hold on to it.” One of the crewmen with a growing gray haired beard told him, and Harry just mustered a small smile.

He wasn’t quite sure how they were certain that their Captain gave it to them, but chose not to bring it up. “Thank you all so much, I will never forget any of you.” Harry reminded them. “My first day here, I thought you all to have the cruelest hearts ever.” Harry told them. “Well, some still do.” He added and made some of them chuckle, some were patting each other’s chests and backs. “But I was wrong. I can prove that not all pirates are by the book. You’ve all been so kind to me. Not from the start, but slowly. And I’m very thankful for that. Thank you.” He said. They others were nodding at what he said. Harry glanced at the First Mate and smiled. “Would it be rude to ask for a moment alone with Mr. Smee?” He asked. The crewmen looked to Liam and he only nodded once, and they all complied.

Liam crossed his arms, looking at the docks and seeing some birds flying freely. It’s been almost half a year since they last touched land, two years since being in this part of the realm where Rumpelstiltskin resides. Miles away from the Dark One’s isolated castle. “So, this is it then?” Liam trailed off.

“Take care of him,” Harry went straight to the point, keeping his voice low. “I may not be happy with what he did, but... I still care for him. So, please. Take good care of him. _Promise me_.” He took Liam’s hands and looked him in the eyes. “Promise me, okay?” He whispered, silently begging.

Smee frowned, sensing how desperate and concern he was towards his pirate Captain. It was just like the day he first arrived here. Only, Harry spoke of another person now. “Of course,” he simply answered.

A smile found its way on the prince’s face, tears forming at the bottom of his eyes. “Right, good then.” He looked away as if Liam never saw the tears he shed for his Captain Hook. “I hope I’ll see you again, Mr. Smee.” He told him, taking his small sack of things and slung it across his shoulder.

“Um, Harry?” Smee stopped him from crossing the small staircase that attached the boat to the docks. “Before you leave, can I ask you some things?”

Harry paused. “Yes, what is it?” He asked, confused.

“While you were asleep, what did you see? And do you know how you woke up?” Liam slowly asked.

To the questions, Harry almost thought that he’d ask about Louis. So he was caught off guard. Harry blinked a couple times and looked away. “I just kept dreaming about everything that happened. The memories I recovered, they were just on a loop.” He told Liam, who looked sympathetic. It must be horrible to relive those kinds of memories. “As for waking up, I just remember opening my eyes in the middle of a dream. It felt like only a minute had passed after I drank the potion. Hook told me that I’ve been asleep for four days. I don’t know what happened.” He softly said. “It was like waking up after a dream.”

Liam watched him for a minute before stepped forward and engulfing him in a hug. “Take care of yourself, Harry. I hope you accomplish what you are aiming for.” He softly told him. “Take back your kingdom.” He whispered in his ear.

The prince smiled gratefully, but he was still hesitating. His eyes dart to the Captain’s door, still hoping that maybe he’ll talk to Harry. He waited for a few seconds.

_There will be a feast upon your heart._

“Thank you, Smee. For everything.” He gave him one last glance before he walked down the wooden stairs. His shoes hit the docks and he took in a deep breath. Well, he’s now on his own. He held the map that Smee gave to him earlier on, checking where he needs to go before he continued walking. He covered his head with a hood. Who knew if the Lady of the Sea was right? That everyone is on the hunt for his heart? It’s better to be cautious.

Smee watched Harry carry himself to the forest until he was out of his sight. He frowned to himself and made his way to the Captain’s Quarters. He knocked on the door. “Captain?”

Louis stopped writing and lifted his head, teeth gritting but he let out a calm breath. “What do you want?”

“He’s gone, Hook.” He heard Liam say behind the door.

“So?” Louis’ fist clenched, body slightly shaking as he turned his waist-up towards the door.

Smee bit his lip. “Just wanted to let you know. We’re going to the village tonight, maybe visit some taverns for drinks.” He told Louis.

From his words, Louis was reminded how he barely drinks now. He had no idea why, but he barely did anymore. Harry would’ve been pleased if he stopped. No, he should not think of the boy anymore. Louis was always prepared and from the day he and Harry agreed to be whatever it was they were, he prepared himself for the possibility of Harry leaving. Although, from how he’s behaving, he did not prepare enough.

“I’ll be right out, give me a minute.” Louis called out and stood up, sliding his hand into his pocket. He looked out of the window and saw land. Though, his view was limited, he was sure that Harry was far now. He pressed his lips together and sighed through his nose. He expected Harry to leave him the second he saw an alarming wrongdoing, and he did. Louis wasn’t sure why he’s surprised, he should’ve expected it.

The Prince in rags clutched his hood around himself as he walked. He was very far from Rumpelstiltskin’s castle. Harry felt like he wasn’t ready to face him, since his magic was still unstable. But, the Dark One can’t resist another deal, right? Harry could make a deal with him, in exchange of Belle. He wouldn’t have to show his magic, that way. It was worth a try, isn’t it? Going through a forest made him feel anxious. Was it wise of him to go alone? No one else could get hurt that way, except for Harry. He wasn’t sure if that was better of him.

Whilst walking for hours, Harry kept thinking about his previous actions. He started to wonder if he overreacted, or if he took it too far. He believed that Louis did something very awful, and the pirate warned him before. Maybe Harry overthought it all.

All of a sudden, he hears an ear-piercing scream and out of impulse, he slides his sword out and followed the sound. The Prince grew anxious, looking around abruptly and ran towards the sound.

A wise man once said, if a horde of individuals run from a place, it’s best not to go towards where they are running from; yet a hero would say otherwise. Harry gathered his courage and ran to where he heard the scream echo. He kept running and looking until he saw a group of men surrounding a woman, Harry wasn’t sure since the men were blocking his view. The woman had blonde hair and rosy cheeks, wearing an elegant gown. She seemed to be a Royal, which is very suspicious since these knights were likely capturing her. She’s also very familiar to Harry. The men seemed to look like knights, considering their armors. The flags they carry and the color of their suits did not belong to the Queen. They belong to King Reginald of the South, father of Prince Killian.

Although, them not being part of Queen Eva’s forces doesn’t mean Harry’s not in danger.

When the woman caught sight of Harry from behind the knights, she grew pale. She didn’t call for help, but only ignored him. Harry furrowed his brows but thought not of it, as he stepped forward and was about to speak, until one of the knights turned and swing his sword across the other knights. Harry’s eyes widened at the sight of blood, looking at the knight who slit their throats with ease. The knight stood up and faced Harry, drawing his own sword.

Harry had no idea why a knight would slay his own, so he looked behind the knight to glance at the woman. She didn’t seem scared anymore. The knight took off his helmet and it revealed another woman. The one who slain those other knights have been a woman all along. She had small foreign eyes that were looking back at him in an intimidating way. Pale skin and her hair was black and straight.

“You’re Prince Harry,” the woman behind the lady knight said.

Harry gripped his sword. “You’re Lady Cecyle. Betrothed to Prince Killian.” He recalled, remembering Belle educating him about the different kingdoms and the people betrothed to one another. He remembered his father hosting a Ball and seeing her there. He doesn’t recall Belle telling him who he was going to marry, maybe because it hasn’t been decided yet. Harry turned to the lady knight. “And you’ve just killed one of your own. That counts as treason.” He bluntly reminded.

“Running away from the King because of his cruel ways also counts as treason, but you don’t see me complaining.” The female knight told him.

Harry blinked. They were running away from a ruler, just like he is. He narrowed his eyes, still not drawing his sword even when she already has. “I didn’t know they allowed women into their fleets in the South.” He acknowledged, as discriminating as it sounded. Harry never really agreed with the gender roles, but it was mandatory for the Southern people. Northern ones are different, anyone could join the army as long as they are fit to the role.

She took offense from his words. “I didn’t know all Northern people just talked. It’s not exactly battle strategy to converse.” She snapped.

“He’s a _Prince_ ,” the Lady behind her, scolding the knight. She walked up to the knight to stand beside her.

“I don’t think I am anymore,” Harry still refused to withdraw his sword. From his words, the two women looked at one another and wondered to themselves. “Why would a Lady and a knight be running away from the King of this part of the realm?”

“Why should we trust you of information? You’re wanted from every part of the realm.” The knight was very intimidating, but Harry has encountered worse by now.

“Everything that the Queen declares I am, is not true.”

“You murdered King Solomon. The only good King we have,” she challenged.

“Yes, I did.” Harry admitted. “I also admit to conspiring with one of the most dangerous pirates this realm has seen and I admit to wanting to put my sword through the Dark One.” He nods, not knowing how he feels upon admitting his darkest impulse, which was to kill a living breathing thing. The two women looked surprised upon hearing him say those, but he let out a sigh. “But the Queen put me under a spell, which made me kill my own father. My flesh and blood, whom I loved very much. The Dark One took my best friend away from me and I associated myself with Captain Hook.” He finished.

“Captain Hook?” The knight asked with awe. “You were on a ship with _the_ Captain Hook?” She carefully worded out.

The knight seemed very surprised, was Louis really someone whom everyone feared? The same man who held him at night and kissed him whenever he could? “Yes, he took me here. I was aboard his ship.”

“No one ever comes out alive from the Jolly Roger.” The knight informed him, shaking her head.

Harry felt his heart sink, that can’t be true. Maybe it is, but Louis has changed. He tried convincing himself, but he is reminded by what Louis did to him. Slowing down the ship to prolong his time apart from Belle. He finally withdrew his sword and his eyes darted down to the dead knights on the ground. “I’m here on a quest to meet the Dark One. He has my friend as hostage. The Queen is also hunting me down right now, but I know she’s not going to capture me just yet. As for Captain Hook, we’ve parted ways already.” He briefly explained to the women. “Now, am I allowed to ask why are you both running away?” He asked. “Or your name, my Lady?”

“I’m not a Lady. I’m a Knight and my name is Mulan.” She introduced herself, and Harry nodded. Mulan glanced at Cecyle as if to ask permission. The Lady grants her by hesitantly smiling and the knight looked at Harry again. “The King is cruel. He... _abused_ Cecyle and no one can ever stop him from doing what he wants. Prince Killian tried defending her, but that only doomed him. He’s currently detained.” She looked down, seeming to be very upset. “His detainment gave us time to escape. We’ve been in the forest for about a week now.” She said. “The knights found us, but they didn’t know I was helping her escape. So we pretended as if I captured her and presented her to them, before killing them.” The knight didn’t even bat an eye for how blunt she sounded. “I am loyal to the Prince and I will protect his wife-to-be as he commanded.”

Harry nodded, understanding the situation now. “Where are you two going now?”

“Prince Killian said that we must go back to Codor.” The Lady stepped forward. “It’s my village, they’ll protect me.”

The Prince looked around the forest. “I’m on my way to the Dark One’s castle.”

“Would it cause trouble if we join you?” The Lady asked, making the knight snap her head to her direction. “Codor is just a few miles from the Dark One’s castle, although I’ve never been there.”

“My Lady, we don’t know him.” She reminded before she turned towards Harry’s direction, making him straighten his back to look strong. “With all due respect, Your Grace, but we don’t know you. It’s a mystery to us all on how you managed to leave the ship of the most cunning and cruel pirates of the realm, still whole.” Her words stunned him, Harry’s not quite sure about leaving the ship still whole. A part of him still belonged to Louis, for all he knew.

“How about we let him explain on the way?” Lady Cecyle smiled at Harry, to which he returned with a puzzled look.

“Why would you want to come with me? You don’t know me.”

Lady Cecyle just looked up at the night sky. “The King has raped me countless of times and still wants me to marry his son. He did so many things to me and I don’t doubt that no one will be worse than him.” She informed him, and the Prince frowned. He can never imagine what she has been through. Harry almost experienced what she had, but she must have been so traumatized after being treated that way for many occasions. “And when you take back your kingdom, it would be very much appreciated if Mulan and I could get the chance to have a place there if we ever go there.” She nodded. “We’d be at your service.”

Harry’s eyes met with the woman in armor, and she straightened her posture. He realized that she will do as her Lady commanded, and chose not to advise her against her own decision. A smile found its way to the young Prince’s face and he gave them a nod. Cecyle exhaled in relief and she gestured to her left, where some horses that belong to the knights were tied to a tree. Harry followed and all three of them got on a horse before riding to the other direction. One thing that living with pirates taught Harry; never trust anyone but yourself.

Ten minutes of silence between them, Mulan spoke up. “I’ve never met a man ever survive leaving the ship of Captain Hook. How did you do it?” She asked with a suspicious.

The Prince turned his head in her direction, seeing that she had an intimidating expression on her face. Cecyle frowned at Mulan, as if to tell her not to upset him, but she only let out a huff. “Captain Hook and I had a deal. I helped him and he helped me.”

“Helped him how?”

Harry narrowed his eyes at her. “You could just say that you don’t trust me.”

“I don’t. I’m not trying to hide it, Your Grace.”

“Mulan,” Cecyle scolded, silencing the knight and making her ride off in front of them with a huff. Lady Cecyle turned to the Prince. “I apologize for her behavior. She’s not very keen with strangers.” She sheepishly says.

“I don’t blame her. I’d be very suspicious upon someone such as myself as well. Especially if I have to protect someone.” He admits, nodding towards her.

She bites down on her lip, smiling a bit. “I heard that Captain Hook has slept with over hundreds of people,” she jokingly said with a small laugh, but her words made Harry’s body tense. “I don’t know how he does it, though. Isn’t he the most dangerous man in the world?”

Harry had no idea how to respond to that. “I heard, yes.”

Mulan could hear their conversation. “For all we know, he forced those people into his bed.” She added.

Prince Harry gripped the lace that he used to control the horse he’s riding. “Well, we don’t know that.” He let out a nervous laugh.

Mulan shook her head. “I do know that he’s killed countless of people to take treasure.” She made known to Harry, glancing back at him. “Which is why it’s difficult to believe how you managed to leave the ship. Or was there even a ship?” She challenged.

Harry couldn’t help but feel hurt from what she told him. Louis is not like that. The Louis he knew would never kill a man. Yes, the pirate has hinted to him before that he’s done unspeakable things, but Harry has never heard anyone out side of the ship talking about how they knew Captain Hook. His reputation preceded him, then. It was awful how others knew Louis like he was a cold-blooded killer who cares of nothing except his treasure.

_Was Louis really like that?_

“He isn’t like that,” Harry immediately told them, not knowing what he just had done. “He’s a good man, on the contrary.” He insisted.

“Oh, really? What did he do to you, then?” Mulan bitterly chuckled. “Did he make you work for him? Did he offer you anything in exchange for something else?” She continued. “People like Hook shouldn’t be alive.”

Harry was fighting the urge to side with Louis, but he kept his gaze straight ahead. Cecyle frowned, looking over at Mulan in front of them and then to Harry. She noticed how upset he seemed, and came to a conclusion to herself. An hour later, Mulan has found them a good spot to camp out, then she went ahead of herself to hunt for some dinner. Cecyle and Harry were left to create a fire to keep them warm for the night.

Lady Cecyle watched the Prince stack firewood, calculating in his head on how much firewood is needed to keep them warm and also not be able to create that much smoke so nobody can track them down. As Harry softly blew into the spark to start the fire, Cecyle decided to start a conversation. “Prince Killian doesn’t really want to marry me,” she admitted to Harry.

The sudden confession made Harry sit down on the ground, a sympathetic smile on his face. “Why not? You’re beautiful and smart.” He listed off but she shook her head.

“Sometimes, we don’t choose who we love.” She worded to the Prince, making the smile on his face fade. “When our parents decided to betroth Killian and I way before we were born, the one thing in their mind is alliance. Not love, they never expected Killian and I to fall in love.” She confessed. “Although, I did. I love him with every single inch of my body.” She smiled with a dreamy sigh. “Ever since we were children, I keep asking my mother when I will marry the Prince of the South. I was so excited.” She had a grin on her face. “Not to be Queen, of course. I mean, yes, I was excited to be Queen someday, but to be _his_ Queen was just,” she pauses. “It’s magical.”

Harry smiled a bit, poking the fire with a stick to keep it lit up. “And Killian?”

Her smile vanished and is replaced by a sad frown. “He didn’t love me. In fact, when he was a child, he dreaded to marry, unlike me. He wanted to be free and travel around the realm.” She muttered. “He once told me that he wanted to go north and meet the two kings there. Your father and King Phillip.” She told him. King Phillip is the husband of Queen Aurora, the other half of the North where he woke up. Harry frowned, remembering how at the edge of Queen Aurora’s kingdom was where he fell onto the Jolly Roger, which then began his journey with the one-handed pirate.

“Did he love another?”

She slowly shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of.” She softly says. “But he does care about me, as a friend.” She sighed. “I wish it could be more, but it’s enough.”

The Prince nodded and looked at the fire, frowning at how everything he thought of would lead him to the pirate. All this talk is making him anxious and he somehow missed him, even when he was still mad at what he did.

Cecyle pursed her lips. “You love him, don’t you?”

He snapped his head towards her, almost sputtering. “What?”

“Captain Hook, you love him?”

He stammered. “What? No, of course not.” He almost scoffed, but the more he thought about it, the more he wished he had stayed in the ship. He can’t, though. Belle needed him more than ever.

Cecyle bit her lip at his denial. “It’s good that you don’t. To be honest, I don’t think Mulan is lying about how many people he’s gotten rid of. Of course, she is exaggerating, but the stories about him out there are true.” She softly told him, and Harry kept his gaze towards the fire. “Captain Hook, he can stick a man even while being drunk off his arse,” she made known with a short laugh. “Probably has visited every brothel and tavern in the South. I heard he’s quite handsome as well, which is probably why those people would lay with him even though he’s one of the dangerous men in the realm.”

Her words kept striking a dagger into Harry’s heart. He wanted to beg her to stop talking about him, but it will only confirm her suspicion. Love, he hasn’t thought of that. Now that he did, he isn’t sure if he did love Louis. Yes, he did care about him and felt numerous emotions whenever the man would kiss him or touch him, or do anything in general.

But who was Harry to determine that? He never quite had the experience of romantic love. He can say that he loves his mother, or father or Belle because he does. He loves all of them, but they’re his family. Louis, on the other hand, is a man he met on a ship he accidentally ended up in. The man who proposed a deal with him to keep him alive and so they could help each other. That transaction is over now, but what Harry felt for Louis is still there even after what he decided to do.

Harry licked his lips to keep them from drying with anxiety, glancing at Cecyle with a hesitant grin. There was no point in countering her opinion regarding the pirate. Harry thought it’s best if he keeps those good sides of Louis to himself. As selfish as that sounded, he wanted a piece of Louis to not be public knowledge and so the Prince can view himself as the only one Louis showed another side of him to.

Meanwhile, at the center of town, Captain Hook and his crew were the life of the party inside a tavern. Beer and rum were flying everywhere, the music was loud and some of the men in his crew had a woman or two on their laps. Louis was gambling and winning, drunk from the rows of rum he just consumed. The men surrounding him were cheering him on and when he finally won, the Captain stands on his feet with his arms in the air, cheering.

“To Captain Hook!” Liam rose his glass and everyone followed.

Louis nodded and goes to grab another rum when one of his crew pat his back. “We all chipped in,” he lowly whispered to Hook’s ear and much to his confusion, the other man gestured to the side of the room where a brunette haired woman with a lustful eye for the Captain started to sultrily pursue the pirate. The others were patting his back and making hollering noises to encourage him.

Hook grinned. “How did you know?” He glanced at the man who spoke to him, letting the woman reach for his hand. Louis kept his eyes on the woman, letting his gaze roam her body from head to toe. The pirate grinned and raised his eyebrows at the other men, looking over his shoulder to let them cheer on.

When the door closed behind them, Louis’ face fell and he held a small bag of coins in front of the woman, pushing the bag into her hand to replace his hand’s position.

The woman, who also dropped the sultry act, only looked to him with confusion. “I don’t understand, your men already paid me.” She reminded him.

Captain Hook, who stopped acting drunk and happy, only offered her a smile. “And tomorrow, you will tell everyone that you had a grand time.” He nodded towards the bag of money in her hand before flicking his head to the left. “Go on home.” Louis told her, hand sliding to his pocket. The woman gives him one last glance before scurrying off to leave. Louis could tell that she was forced to do this and sighed, not wanting to take part on that anymore. He started to stride to the opposite direction. Obviously, he can’t go back to the tavern or his crew will find out that he refused to pay for sex. For some reason, he found it repulsing to fuck a woman after paying her to do it. Even though he’s managed to do than quite a number of times already.

He took a walk and kept thinking of Harry, he’s all he could think about now. His smile, his warmth, his pale skin and all those bloody questions he’d ask Louis all the time. The thought made him grin. The streets were quiet and dark as he made his way back to his ship. Was it wise to let Harry go alone? Louis knew it wasn’t and he still let him. Of course, the boy didn’t want him to come along after finding out the stupid thing that Louis decided to do. He should have listened to Liam about telling him all the truths.

When he went to shore, his eyes flashed with puzzlement. The Jolly Roger is nowhere to be seen. His blood ran cold when he looked around the docks for any sign of the ship, but found none. He looked to the ocean for any silhouette of his beloved ship, but the coast was clear. His eyes widened, jaw clenching and he found himself taking a few steps backward before he turned on his heels and stalked back to the tavern, every step was heavy and his face was painted with anger. He pushed the door open and stomped inside with a furious expression on his face, making the rest of the drunks inside the bar pale in their places.

Then, his booming voice echoed throughout the whole room, making his rage known to every single soul inside the tavern, “Where the fuck is _my_ ship?!”

***

“How far long is the Dark One’s castle?” Cecyle asked after a couple minutes of riding their horses the minute light engulfed the horizon.

Harry looked down at his map. “I’d say four hours if nothing disturbs us on the way.” He answered her question, rolling the map and tucking it into his belt. “What are your plans when you get to your village? We’ll be separated as soon as you both arrive there and I would have to continue to go to the Dark One’s lair.”

“You’re going to face the Dark One alone?” Mulan scoffed.

“I’m offering a new deal, to free my friend from his grasp.” He declared.

“Any deal you make with the Dark One will tie you to him forever.” Mulan informed him with narrowed eyes. “It’s a wise decision.”

Her words remind him of what Louis told him, making him feel frustrated. “Well, it’s all I’ve got. I can’t exactly outwit him with a sword.” Harry remarked.

“Enough, both of you.” Cecyle frowned, not wanting the two to keep bickering. “I thought we were supposed to accompany each other while we’re journeying through the woods? Not fight one another.” She huffed and turned to Mulan. “He’s the Prince of the North,” she pointed out. “I mean, there are other Princes at the other half of the North, but Harry here is the only child of King Solomon.”

Harry frowned. “You don’t have to side with me, Lady Cecyle.”

“I’m not siding with you, I’m reasoning out to Mulan because she’s behaving unwelcoming for no ill reason.” Cecyle grimaced. “Can we please just stay calm?” She pleaded.

“Apologies, my Lady.” Mulan solemnly said, but still managed to shoot Harry a glare, to which he sighed audibly at.

Cecyle cleared her throat. “We’re going to seek out the shop of one of the finest potion-maker in the South.” She answers Harry’s question from earlier.

“Oh, why?” He softly asked, looking ahead of himself and squinted as the sunlight blinded him.

Cecyle only shrugged. “I don’t know. Prince Killian told us that we’ll be safe there.”

“Who’s shop is it?”

“Sylvor Greeves,” she answered, making him freeze. “Well, he doesn’t tend to the shop anymore, but his brother is.”

Harry wanted to ask more, but kept his mouth shut. He didn’t know how to go about this, they were on their way to the shop of the man who created such a powerful spell from the last Light One’s blood that put Harry to sleep for a few days. By the time they reached the village that Cecyle was telling him about, the Prince immediately tugged down his hoodie to keep his face hidden.

He grew nervous upon arriving at the Dark One’s castle. He knew that the Dark One won’t do him any harm, or as far as Harry thought. The Dark One knew of a prophecy and he wouldn’t want that to be interrupted or anything of the sort. Whilst he rode, he was calculating a plan, although he had more questions than ideas. What if he cannot give Rumpelstiltskin what he wants in exchange for Belle? What if he becomes aggressive and acts out? He wouldn’t know what he’d do if he doesn’t leave the Dark One’s castle with Belle by his side. What if Louis was right and Belle never survived that long?

The thought terrified Harry and made him feel even more anxious. He can’t exactly prepare himself if he found out that Belle is long gone. He’d blame himself for everything, but he is still hopeful. There is still that glimmer of hope inside him that Belle is alive and in need of saving. Harry promised her that he will find her and take her away from that horrid place. The hours of silence gave Harry more time to imagine what Belle had been through the past few months. Rumpelstiltskin must have tortured her beyond her capability, and Harry desperately wished that she’s still alive and hopeful.

 “I would appreciate it if no one will ever know of my presence here.” Harry informed Cecyle with a pleading expression. “It will make things easier for the Queen.”

“The _Evil_ Queen,” she corrected him, glancing towards the village that was a mile away. “Don’t worry, Prince Harry. From one escapee to another, your secret is safe with us.” She nodded towards Mulan, who still had a skeptical look on her face. Although, quite honestly, Harry admired Mulan and her strength. Harry probably won’t be able to take on that many knights at once. He also admired the way she’s very protective over Cecyle, she’s very willing to listen to her every decision like a loyal knight. One of these days, when Harry takes back the kingdom, he might ask Mulan to be one of his prestigious knights. “It’s farewell for now, Prince of the North.”

“I’m not the only Prince of the North.” Harry reminded, gripping the rope that controlled the horse he rode.

Lady Cecyle offered him a smile. “First to set foot on the South, though.” She shot back with a small chuckle before turning to ride their horses to the village, leaving Harry alone in the woods.

Then, Harry remembered something. “No, wait!” He yelled out and made the two women stop their horses in confusion. Cecyle watched him for a moment, a puzzled smile on her face. “Do you know anything about potions? Spells?”

Cecyle slowly shrugged. “I think so, yes?”

“Do you know anything that may cure a sleeping curse?”

The Lady knotted her brows together, but kept her smile. “A sleeping curse? Well, there’s only one way of waking someone up from a sleeping curse.” She shakes her head as if in disbelief that Harry doesn’t know.

“Which is?”

She glanced at Mulan and darted her gaze back to the Prince. “A kiss born from true love.” She dreamily sighed, to which Mulan grimaced at. “It can break any curse.”

Harry’s face softened, lips parting. _A kiss born from true love? What in heaven’s could that mean?_ He just nodded and forced a smile at both of them. “Thank you.” He expressed just before the Lady and the Knight nodded towards him before continuing their journey towards the village.

A kiss, how can a kiss wake a person from a curse? Harry slowly frowned, now remembering the story books he used to read when he was a child. Just before he shifted to more academic related books. True love’s kiss, that was real as well? And… does that mean Louis kissed him?

_Louis loved him?_

Harry’s heart sank with the realization, eyes filling with tears when he remembered the way Louis touched him and looked at him. Just everything about him. The thought of never seeing him again only choked him until he couldn’t breathe. If what the Lady told him was true, then that could only mean that the Captain and the Prince loved each other, _truly_ loved each other. Harry’s heart could burst with happiness at the moment, everything about what he just learned made him want to turn his horse around and ride back to the shores to wrap himself around Louis and never let go. He wanted to go back just to press their mouths together and let his hands roam around the pirate’s body. He wanted to hide under the covers of his bed, which was more comfortable than the one he owned for twenty years, only because of the warmth that the pirate had provided him. All he wanted was to go back, ride off to the ocean and be with Louis again.

But he knew that he cannot do that. He mustn’t, his friend needs him and he needs to take back his kingdom. They lived in two completely different worlds, A pirate’s place is with the ocean, and a prince’s—no, a _King’s_ place is with his people. Harry cannot leave his people in order to just ride off the sunset with Louis, and Louis cannot just let go of his freedom to sail across oceans to take in the Royal life with Harry. The pirate Captain has expressed his thoughts on Royalty numerous times, as well. There is no way for them to both fulfill their duties while being at each other’s company. The impossible thought sends the Prince to tears, just wanting his own happy ending to happen. Hypothetically, if he does take back Belle from the Dark One, and the kingdom from the Queen, would he be happy at the end? Maybe he will be, but he will never have Louis. As much as he tries to keep in mind that their love is true, it is an impossible fantasy that he needs to forget.

His horse galloped through the woods until the Prince spotted a road. He fumbled with his things but managed to gather the map he brought as he unfolded it. A happy smile arrived on his face upon realizing that the road just led to the Dark One’s castle. Finally, some good news. He kicked the horse gently to get it to gallop quickly until he emerged from the woods and into the road. It would definitely be empty since Rumpelstiltskin might not expect some guests. He’s the Dark One, after all.

The moment the horse stepped out of the woods, Harry could finally have a clear view of the castle. It was clearly unexpected. His castle doesn’t seem terrifying to the eye at all. In fact, it would appear as any Royal’s palace. At the far end from what Harry can see, there was a cloaked figure carrying a basket that walked down the road. The person seemed to be from the castle and it made Harry frown, his horse nearing the figure. Upon hearing the hooves of a horse, the figure revealed its face. Harry’s heart stopped, eyes widening as his mouth formed the words he anticipated to say ever since.

“You’re alive,” Harry whispered, almost to himself. “You’re alive!” His voice grew louder and a grin plastered itself on his face.

When the woman looked up, her eyes lit up and a shocked smile was formed by her plump lips. “H-Harry?” She asked in disbelief, unable to process what she’s witnessing right now.

The Prince rode to her quickly and immediately got off his horse, wrapping his arms around the woman. He sighed in relief, barely comprehending that he’s now holding her. Harry inhaled her familiar scent and felt her small arms wrap around himself as well. They both were chuckling in glee. Harry pulled away and takes a glance at her, observing how there were no marks on her skin as a sign of physical abuse. Her skin maintained its natural glow. Her brown hair is still curled in a neat way, and her eyes were still alive.

Harry could hardly believe that she’s here, actually here. “Is that really you?” He breathily asked, gripping her shoulders gently.

His question drew tears from her eyes and a scoff from her lips. “Of course, it’s me. I can’t believe you’re actually here!” She exclaimed before embracing him again.

“Where’s the Dark One?” Harry muttered into her hair, pulling away again to look at her. His smile dropped. “Why are you out of the castle? How did you manage to escape?” He furrowed his eyebrows. The Dark One is a powerful being, escaping his grasp would be impossible, he heard Louis say that to him once.

What Belle said next, astonished him. She fidgeted with her hands, looking down and frowning. “He let me go, Harry.”

Harry, startled, only gave her a look of disbelief. “What? Let you go?” He repeated, not believing a word she just said. “But the Dark One—”

“—is not what he seems,” she finished the sentence for him. The Prince found it difficult to process what she just told him, so Belle gave out a sigh. “Rumple,” she begins and from her term of endearment, Harry could make a deduction. “He’s not as what he appears to be. There’s good in him.” She insisted.

“I apologize, Belle, but I have some difficulty in understanding that since he did abduct you from the castle.” Harry frowned, and heard the horse neigh from behind him as if to agree with his statement,

Belle shook her head. “But he didn’t, remember? I chose to go.” She pressed her palm against her chest to gesture towards herself. “The Dark One may have been cruel to me at first, but he’s a good man now. He’s changed.” She grabbed Harry’s hands. “Do you really not believe that a person can change?” She asked with her shining eyes.

Her words reflected with someone else that Harry knew too well, which made him sigh and glance to the side to think. Then, he looked down at both their hands before eyeing back at Belle’s green eyes. “I believe that a person can change for the right reason,” he mumbled before hesitating. “You love him, then?”

Belle froze, but moved on quickly. “I might love him,” she quietly said. “I _could_ love him, but something evil has taken root of him inside and it’s making it difficult for him to stay good, I need something that can help him prevent it from taking over his whole being.” She told him.

Then, the Prince recalled what Lady Cecyle has mentioned to him just before they parted ways. True love’s kiss can break any curse. “Does he love you, then?” He asked, wanting to help her even though it might be dangerous to even help her go back to the Dark One’s castle. Harry believed that everyone deserved to have love in their lives, so he never really thought twice into Rumpelstilskin’s capability of loving. If Belle loved him, then he must be an honorable man. Although, Harry hasn’t met him so he wasn’t keen into believing that the Dark One deserved her love. In Harry’s eyes, he’s still the one who took her away from her home. Belle is a smart woman, so Harry trusted her judgment.

She frowned. “I don’t know.”

Harry pursed his lips at her words, looking around the empty area. His eyes made their way back to Belle’s. “There’s only one way to find out, then.” He climbed on his horse, reaching a hand over to help Belle up.

Her eyes shone with gratitude as her grin grew wider, taking Harry’s hand and pulling herself up on the horse as they make their way to the Dark One’s castle, the sound the horse’s hooves clacking against the road filled their ears. Harry is more than relieved that Belle is alive, but he never thought he’d ever lead her back to the Dark One’s lair. In the contrary, he dreamed of leading her far away from the place. But if it’s for Belle’s happiness, so be it.

If Harry can never get his true love, then he could at least help someone who can.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recap: four days later, harry wakes up from true love's kiss, unknown to both the prince and pirate. harry finds out about louis slowing down the ship to increase his time within the ship in fear that the dark one will hurt him since he was unprepared with magic. harry leaves the ship and goes on with his journey, meeting lady cecyle and mulan on the way. harry hears stories about louis' reputation that circulates the south. his reputation was unlike the man harry met on that ship. louis and the crew celebrate in the tavern where louis pretends to sleep with an escort, but he refused in secret. the jolly roger goes missing and it sends louis into a fit of rage. harry finds out about true love's kiss just before he reached belle, only to find out she fell for the dark one.

Harry still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that his best friend fell in love with the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the whole realm. If anything, he never expected anything quite like this. Would that be judgmental of him to say? He is the Dark One, after all. From the stories that the pirates fed him, Rumpelstiltskin would be the last person he’d expect to have someone fall for. Especially a woman like Belle. He’s glad that Belle couldn’t see the way he looks hesitant to go back, she might feel awfully judged.

“I never asked you why you actually came here.” Belle muttered from behind him as they rode to the castle. “Or how.”

Harry cleared his throat. “It’s a very long story, Belle. I think you may need to sit down before you hear about my journey to come here.” He told her, and his words made her curious.

Belle noticed that Harry wasn’t wearing anything that may indicate he was a Royal. In fact, he looked more like a peasant than she is, every since she had left the palace back in their kingdom. She decided not to ask questions for now and simply stayed quiet, anticipating the moment she saw Rumpelstiltskin again. They reach the castle and the gates were open already, as if they were left to be that way. Harry climbed off of the horse and helped Belle get down, and she wasted no time to grab his hand and hold her basket close. The more Harry looked into the basket, he noticed how it was filled with straw, to his confusion. Belle led him to the entrance of the castle, her hands weren’t cold as compared to Harry’s. She opened the door and revealed the beautiful interior of the castle. Harry has never stepped foot inside any castle for months now, almost a year. It was evident how clean the place was maintained, and so Belle led him to another room far down.

Belle stopped in front of the door, facing the Prince. She fiddled with her thumbs, a clear sign of anxiety. “Is this a good idea? Me coming back?”

Harry frowned. “We’re here to find out if he loves you as well, aren’t we?” He grabbed her shoulders gently. “Any curse can be broken. I heard that one kiss is enough if it’s true love.” He softly spoke to her, seeing the way her smile grew.

“The true love’s kiss tale? I thought that was a myth.” She quietly giggled. “Young King Phillip really did kiss the Queen Aurora awake?” Belle asked, stalling.

He let out a sigh, looking around the castle. “I think we’ve always believed that.” He breathily replied.

Belle bit down her lip. “Would it be okay if you stay out here for a bit? I need to speak to him alone.” She muttered, but Harry tensed. Belle noticed and offered him a small smile. “I’ll be okay, he won’t hurt me. He never does that anymore.” Harry didn’t know if the last sentence was reassuring or not, so he was still hesitant about the whole ordeal. “You’ll be safe out here, just don’t make any noise. I’ll introduce you to him afterwards.” She smiled, standing on the tip of her toes to press a kiss on Harry’s cheek, grinning widely as she entered the room and leaving the Prince behind.

He couldn’t believe that he was actually here, that he finally found Belle. He looked around the ground floor of the castle. Somehow, he frowned when remembering a specific pirate. He wondered what Louis could be doing now. It wasn’t good for him to keep thinking about the pirate Captain, not when he should start forgetting about him. But how could Harry even forget about him? Louis has brought him more happiness than gardening or reading books has ever brought to him. In fact, Louis brought him even more than he could ever imagine. To the point where Harry found it difficult to imagine a life without him.

Whilst observing around the castle, Harry noticed a wide glass cabinet at the end of the hall. He walked towards it and viewed the items through the transparent cabinet, seeing how it was full of different kinds of objects. From goblets to wands, and from hats to a glass slipper. All of them were quite different from one another, and displayed as though they were trophies. Then, Harry spotted something very familiar. It was a long bottle, and there was a ship inside of it. Much like those decorations people would put inside their house. The sight of a ship made Harry smile, but before he could step forward to have a closer look, he heard a loud incoherent voice that made his head snap towards the sound. Harry swallowed and ran to the room where he had left Belle, hearing Rumpelstilskin’s voice.

The Prince grew nervous, grabbing the door handle and twisting it slowly to make no noise. Belle saw him, widening her eyes and raising her hand to signal him to stop. If he opened the door suddenly, the Dark One might hurt Belle. Or do worse. Harry slowly opened the door to listen into what he was saying. From the gap of the door, he could see Belle looking terrified and upset, and the silhouette of Rumpelstiltskin facing away from her. Harry couldn’t see what he was doing, but whatever it was, it definitely confused Belle.

Inside the room, Belle was watching Rumpelstiltskin stand in front of a mirror. He looked furious, and his voice boomed across the whole room “You _evil_ soul,” he gritted his teeth, staring at himself in the mirror. Belle was a witness as the Dark One lifted his finger to point at the mirror. “This was you!” He yelled, eyes fiery and demanding. “You turned her against me! You think you can make me weak?” His voice can cause terror, but it only struck her with confusion. “You think you can defeat me!” He pointed towards himself, angrily yelling at the duplication of himself. Harry cannot see him, but he can hear him. And, _oh,_ did the sound of his voice terrify Harry.

Belle’s lips part, watching the man she loved talk to his reflection as if it did him the biggest mistake. “Who are you talking to?” Her voice was laced with confusion.

Rumpelstiltskin mustered a childish but terrifying voice. “The Queen.” He said in a high pitched voice and lifted his arm, mocking a graceful gesture. He turned to face her, and the look on his face was terrifying. “Your friend, the Queen.” He mocked her name.

Harry’s eyes widened, his heart pumped blood through his veins until the sound is all he could hear. He had to keep listening, if he does any sort of action, Rumpelstiltskin might hurt her.

“How did she get to you?” Rumpelstiltskin pointed at Belle, whispering his words.

Belle stammered. “Th-the Queen? I don’t—”

“I knew this was a trick,” He cut her off, slowly shadowing towards. “I knew you could never care for me,” it was as if he was telling all of this to himself and not to Belle only. It broke her heart into millions of pieces. “Oh, you’re working for her,” he pointed behind him, making Belle glance at the tall mirror that she used to dust, but never uncovered. Rumpelstiltskin told her to never uncover it, she always thought it was because he didn’t want to look at himself. “Or is this all you?”

Harry processed his words. The Queen, how could he think that this was all the Queen’s doing? Has she manipulated people before? The Prince started to question everything, from the moment he set foot on land. A bigger thought had occurred to Harry and one that had his blood run cold.

_Were Lady Cecyle and Mulan even real?_

Belle was very confused. She still has no knowledge about the kingdom being taken from Harry, King Solomon’s tragic death, the Evil Queen’s plans or anything that happened in their land the moment she left it. To her, the Queen Eva can never be trapped inside a mirror or be anything remotely associated with it other than being obsessive with how she appeared. “What are you talking about?” She quietly questioned him.

“Is this you being the hero and killing the beast?” He continued with his interrogation. “You kiss me and hope that all of this will be taken away from me!” He yelled to her face and Harry couldn’t take it anymore.

“It was working—” Belle insisted, but the Dark One turned away from her. “This means it’s true love!” She went to grab his arm and pull him back.

“Shut your mouth!” He fought off her grip.

“Why won’t you believe me?” She cried and from that, Rumpelstiltskin harshly gripped her arms and neared her face towards him. “Because no one, _nobody_ could ever love me!” He spat at her, eyes wide and full of terrors.

Belle fell silent and grimaced away from him, hurt by both his words and actions. Harry had to do something, he cannot afford to be in shock at this very moment. The way Rumpelstiltskin hurt her, made him push the doors open and running inside, catching both their attention. Belle’s eyes widened, filling with panic over the thought of him getting hurt. Harry’s arms slowly elevated, and Rumpelstiltskin watched him with surprise. “What—”

He was cut off by a sword came flying through the window and burying itself into the wooden cabinet with a loud piercing noise just right next to the Dark One’s body. The sound made Harry jump, wondering if he did that by himself. Quite apparently so, he didn’t.

All their heads snapped towards the sound coming from outside the window. A figure then grabbed the edge of the windowpane and pushes himself up, jumping over and immediately gaining their balance the moment their feet hit the ground.

Harry’s breath got caught in his throat, eyes following down the figure’s arm and seeing a familiar piece of metal. “L-Louis,” he uttered with a puzzled tone. How did he get here? Why did he come here? A million questions surfaced in Harry’s mind, everything involving both Louis and the Queen.

The Captain glanced at him. Thousands of emotions flashed in pirate’s eyes and Harry wasn’t sure what Louis would do with them. His hopes were crushed as the pirate only blinked and gave him a nod, clenching his jaw before his eyes met with the Dark One. His eyes narrowed, taking in Rumpelstiltskin’s surprised expression. Louis’s eyes darted to the woman next to him. “You must be Belle,” he greeted as if he didn’t just break inside the castle of the most powerful wizard in the realm. Belle stood there, frozen, unaware of what she has to do. “Heard quite a lot about you.”

Harry was about to speak, being cut off by men walking up from behind him. He glanced around and is met by the pirate crew away from the line of sight of the Dark One, looking very intimidating and deadly. Liam was among them as well, although he held a bow and had arrows behind him. But what confused him was the way none of them held their weapons up in any defense, although, Harry ignored it and chose to focus on the events happening in front of him. Louis had both his arms behind his back and now the Dark One stared back at him with cautious eyes.

If the situation cannot be even more confusing, the next word that left Rumpelstiltskin’s mouth caused the whole room to quiet down. And not just because everyone was silent, it was also how Harry’s head went completely blank. “William.” He aired, completely astonished.

The pirate Captain’s eyes narrowed into slits, mouth forming a shape to indicate his disgust. “ _Never_ call me that,” his words were laced with distaste and complete loathing.

Belle looked in between them. “William.” She repeated under her breath. “This... _he’s_ your son?” She glanced at Rumpelstiltskin before she turned to Louis, looking down at the hook attached to his arm. She almost gasped in surprise.

As if her words couldn’t make Harry’s heart shake inside him, a full realization washed over him. This was what Louis tried to tell him back when he was on his ship. Every little hole that _poked_ into every confusing situation that Harry has encountered with Louis, it all led back to this revelation. Captain Hook, _son_ of the Dark One. The Lady of the Sea, her words all made sense now.

When Belle have said that aloud, Louis’ eyes immediately followed Harry’s stature. He frowned, observing the way Harry’s whole body faltered after the shocking truth. It’s only the matter of time when the Prince would look at him even more differently than he already does. “It’s been an age, Dark One.” Louis ignored her words, slowly gliding through the room with three pairs of eyes following him. “Although, the years aren’t evident on your face. You still look the same.” He discussed boredly, making Harry’s eyebrows furrow.

Rumpelstiltskin looked... _pleased_ , in a way. He let go of Belle and stepped forward, eyes on Captain Hook. “I… never thought you’d come back to this part of the land.” Harry could see a hint of a smile growing on his face, as if he was happy to see Louis even when the way his son looked at him was the complete opposite.

“I never thought I’d come back either.” Louis briefly glanced at Harry. “But I had a reason to come here, so,” his arms stretched to his sides, one of his knees bending for a dramatic emphasis. “Here I am.”

Rumpelstiltskin’s face twisted with confusion. “And what reason is that?”

His arms plopped back to his sides and his nose flared with anger. The pirate Captain’s eyes darted to Harry’s, giving him a look and the Prince understood immediately. “You know what I’m after, don’t be a fool.” He continued, a humorless smile on his face.

The Captain wanted him to get the lady. As Harry listened to their conversation, he glanced at Belle and waved her towards him. She nodded, taking caution by looking at Rumpelstiltskin before she quietly made her way towards the Prince and wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face into his chest. She was slightly shaking, both in disappointment and fear. Harry frowned, if she was so afraid of him, then maybe this relationship should not continue. Especially with what he displayed upon Belle trying to break his curse for him.

“Your hand?” The Dark One asked, tilting his head.

Louis didn’t hesitate to scoff. “I don’t give a bloody damn about my hand. Where is my ship?” He asked, the question made Harry’s face twist in puzzlement.

Rumpelstiltskin, surprisingly, only shook his head. “I don’t have your ship.” He answered monotonously.

The Captain wasn’t convinced, not at all, which sent him laughing. “Don’t be coy, I know you’ve been watching the whole time. You’ve been there during the storm, weren’t you? The storm that the Lady of the Sea threw at us, hm?” He glared at him, accusing him of such events.

Harry’s face softened. If the Dark One had been watching the entire time, then that would mean that he knew about Harry’s arrival. Everything he did on that ship, _Rumpelstiltskin was aware of it_. The thought made Harry sick, why couldn’t Louis tell him? Why did it never occur to him to inform Harry of such significant knowledge? Harry could feel his heart in his throat. He couldn’t stand all the lies that Louis threw upon his face.

Rumpelstiltskin looked defeated, it was as if the only one who could actually make him feel that way was his own son. Harry still can’t process that inside his head. “I was protecting you. I had to do something when you’ve lost two men and almost yourself!” He tried justifying which only made the pirate Captain chuckle bitterly.

“Of course, you would! You need me alive, don’t you? Don’t ever interfere with my life. You have no right to be in it.” Louis sneered at him.

“William—”

“My _name_ is Captain Hook!” Louis yelled at him, the booming sound filled the entirety of the room. “Do you want to know why? Because having power is more important to you than your own _bloody_ son!” He spat and his loud voice made Belle flinch in Harry’s arms, but it only saddened Harry the way Louis’ tone was full of anger and distraught. “Now, give me my ship and _all_ of us will be on our way.” He told him, voice shifting to a calmer tone. Harry’s eyes softened upon hearing that. All of them are leaving the Dark One’s castle, together? Although, one thing didn’t make sense to him; how did the ship just vanish all of a sudden? It’s quite a large ship. Surely it’s difficult to hide one ship as big as the Jolly Roger.

The Dark One visibly clenched his jaw and looked downwards. “I don’t have your ship. I would never have a reason to take it.” He informed him, voice deep but small.

“Except to keep me in this part of the realm to have me close.” Louis scoffed. “Don’t play silly tricks with me.”

“If I wanted that, I would have done it a long time ago.” He counters, stepping forward. “I don’t have your ship, it’s not here. No cloaking spell from me, no anything.”

“We’re wasting time here!” Louis cut him off with a shout, suddenly taking out a small vial. “If you don’t tell me where it is, I will drink this.” He threatened.

The vial only made the Dark One tense, lifting a finger to point towards it. “What’s that, poison? Easily undone.” He pointed out.

He laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, no. Not poison. We both know how it ended with poison.” He said in a teasing manner, but it was still in a serious situation. In a way, the two men were similar yet so different in other ways. “No, no. _This_ ,” he held up the vial, grinning. “—is the Conissaunce.”

Harry’s brows knot with confusion. But he drank that potion and it’s the very last one. How could Louis have one again? Unless... _unless he’s bluffing_. The only plausible explanation, but Harry wondered what significance it held towards the Dark One that had him react in shock.

Rumpelstiltskin blinked, body tensed as he let out a sigh. He kept his eyes on Louis. “I don’t have your ship.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Liar.” Louis popped open the vial and made a move to drink whatever is inside. When the Prince glanced towards the Dark One, there was a sudden sheer of panic that crossed his thick face.

The Dark One growled and Harry watched as he lifted just one finger and sent the glass vial into the wall, out of Louis’ hand and breaking into pieces. “You dare to call me a liar?” He scrunched his nose as his voice shifted into something darker, nodding as he gestured to himself.

The Dark One neared Louis, but the Captain was as fierce as ever. “You’re never really known for your honesty, Dark One.” The pirate Captain challenged him. “Give me my ship.”

“You’re good at telling if someone is lying, do I seem like I am?” He challenged back, eyes burning through each other. Their bodies where a few feet apart now.

Louis clenched his jaw. The Dark One wasn’t lying, Louis knew this. But he doesn’t want to believe that his ship is not in Rumpelstiltskin’s possession. His eyes twitched with frustration, huffing as he turned away, circling around the man before making his way towards where his sword was currently stuck in between the wood it cut through. He withdrew his sword and glanced at Harry. “He’s not lying.” He said through gritted teeth, glaring at the other man. “We have to leave.” He walked to Harry, pushing him and the lady out of the door with him to leave the Dark One behind.

“Louis, wait,” Harry protested, freeing himself from his arms. Belle had her eyes on the Dark One, she appeared to be disappointed and heartbroken. When the pirate was stopped, he gave the Prince a confused expression. “I can’t leave yet. Not until I know about the prophecy.” He told him, pushing past Louis and Belle to plant himself in front of the Dark One. Rumpelstiltskin appeared to be unbothered, but Belle knew better. Harry faced him, finally faced him. He noticed how the Dark One kept his chin up high to maintain his authority, but Harry didn’t let that intimidate him.

“And what could the whitest snow possibly want?” Rumpelstiltskin taunted him, mocking his lack of knowledge about himself.

Right behind the Prince, Louis was visibly shaking with anger. His breaths were slow and even, calming himself down. Belle looked up at his face, seeing the way he fixed his gaze carefully upon Harry. She could sense his concern and urge to protect him, and the overwhelming attachment. She looked away before the pirate could see her staring. Belle craned her neck to look over her shoulder, eyes widened at the sight of different men scourging the area.

Prince Harry forced himself to be unfazed. “I want to know everything about this prophecy.” He demanded.

A slow but easy grin filled the Dark One’s face. “All magic comes with a price,” he repeated his words from the day Harry saw him. For his magic on that day, the price was Belle.

The moment he uttered those words, Louis stepped forward and grabbed Harry’s arm to pull him back. “I would be wise to not fall for anything he has to say,” he told the Prince.

The last time he witnessed someone make a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, he lost someone. Harry wasn’t sure if he was ready to make the same mistake. “What do you want?”

Louis let out an audible sigh from behind him, clearly frustrated. Rumpelstiltskin looked surprised, but masked it by looking towards Hook as his hands curve out in front of himself. “Oh, no, no, no,” he shook his head. “I will tell you the prophecy, and you will owe me a favor.” He lowly said to Harry. The Prince blinked at him and slowly lowered his gaze, thinking about his choices. If he’ll owe the Dark One a favor, he’d be compelled to do anything that he wants.

Hook sent him a glare and went to grab Harry’s arm gently. “Harry, don’t do it. It’s a trick, it’s all a trick.” He glanced at Belle, who was frowning at the scene. She was very confused about the whole thing and is still very clueless. All she knew was that she was taken from their kingdom to save it, and transferred to a new place where she fell for a man. Well, half a man. “Belle, tell him not to do it.” Louis tried, clinging to the big chance that Harry would listen to her, if not him.

Belle clasped her hands together, conflicted between the man she loved and the man she grew up with. Rumpelstiltskin looked at her with those fiery eyes, so full of life. She loved him so much that it hurt seeing him like this. To be this way. She didn’t know how to word her thoughts. “I-I…”

Louis sighed, briefly closing his eyes. “He’s going to trap you if you do this. You’ll never escape him.” He quietly said into Harry’s ear, but it was enough for Rumpelstiltskin to hear. His own son, turning him away.

Harry could see the logic in what Louis said and swallowed the lump in his throat. He looked down and nodded, making Louis sigh in relief as he let go of his arm. Harry kept his eyes on Rumpelstiltskin, trying to be strong as he held eye contact with him before he turned around to make his way towards Belle. Louis looked at the Dark One from head to toe with glaring eyes, but the wizard only held his ground, his chin tilted up. His whole demeanor gave off an authoritative aura, reminding everyone who the most powerful being in the whole realm is.

Despite all of that, Belle walked in front of him, closing in onto his face to really see him. She had tears in her eyes, but she looked at him with so much disappointment in her eyes. “You know, you were _freeing_ yourself,” she started, and Rumpelstiltskin only frowned at her. “You could’ve had happiness if you just believed that someone could want you.” She said through gritted teeth, consumed by her love for him, but also disappointment. Her blue eyes shone with sadness. “But you couldn’t take a chance.” Her voice was much more quieter.

Harry looked at his feet. It was as if Belle was speaking to him and not to the Dark One. _He couldn’t take a chance._

“That’s a lie.” The Dark One told her, face cold.

Belle swallowed, shaking her head as she took one step closer towards him. Harry watched, his heart breaking for her. Losing the one person you love, it seemed as though Harry grew used to the feeling that he now forgot what it was like. Though now, he could see it in her eyes. The pain that he felt when he lost his mother, his father, Belle. Even Louis, who stood by and watched as his father and the woman that Harry came all this way for, reject one another. Belle looked deep into his eyes, the one she grew to love. “You are a coward, Rumpelstiltskin. And no matter how thick you make your skin, that doesn’t change.” She told him.

Louis glanced at Harry, his chest caving in. The pirate couldn’t be here for long, he couldn’t take seeing the Dark One again. He just couldn’t. Maybe if he looked at the one person who could calm him down, things would get better. But all he can see on Harry’s face was pain.

“I’m not a coward, dearie.” He began. “It’s quite simple, really. My power means more to me than you.” He raised his brows at her, as if to tell her she meant nothing to him.

The pirate Captain clenched his fist, teeth gritting together. His breaths were much more labored and the Prince noticed. Harry gave him a sympathetic look and just placed his hand on his hook as a sign of comfort. Louis could feel his eyes stinging, it was as if he was hearing the same words ring inside his head.

Belle’s eyes filled with tears, one escaping and rolling down her cheek as she remained strong. “No.” She shook her head. “No, it doesn’t. You just don’t think I can love you.” Her voice broke, and he didn’t answer. “Now you’ve made your choice. And you’re going to regret it.” She softly told him, voice filled with sadness. “All you’ll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup,” her voice shook as she finished her words. The lady’s words were stuck inside the Prince’s head, repeating themselves inside. The Dark One never replied and so she casted him one last glance before turning and walking away, finally freeing her tears. She walked out of the room and past the pirates, Harry went after her. Louis didn’t even look at the Dark One as he followed after Harry.

“Captain,” the Dark One cleared his throat, and Louis just let out a humorless laugh.

“What, now? I’m trying to get away from you.” He sarcastically said, turning to face him and having his hand on his sword, ready to pull it out to defend himself.

“I want you to look after him.” His voice went deep, eyes calm yet storming inside.

Louis’ shoulders tensed. He processed his words for a second and narrowed his eyes at him. “What did you just say to me?”

The Dark One sighed, looking towards the ground. “He’s the only hope—the _answer_ to _everything_.” He told him.

The other pirates lined up behind Louis as their Captain scoffed at him. “If you believe that, why not just tell him about this bloody prophecy of yours?”

“It’s not my prophecy, I didn’t create it. It’s been written since the beginning of time, dearie.” The Dark One told him as a matter of fact. “If he wants to know so badly, the offer is still open.” He was being serious, face stern and leaned back.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Louis scoffed at him once again, shaking his head and continued to walk, but the next thing he said made him stop.

“He can’t control it, can he?”

Captain Hook froze and craned his neck to look towards him. “I don’t know what you’re on abo—”

“I can sense magic when I’m near it, and he has plenty of it just sitting inside him.” The Dark One cut him off. “Light magic, isn’t it?”

Liam furrowed his eyebrows at the mention of magic. He glanced at his Captain, who obviously swallowed. Harry has magic, and if Louis’ actions didn’t just confirm that, Liam doesn’t know what would. And their Captain kept this from all of them, while knowing that Harry might be a danger to everyone on the ship. “So what? At least he always had it. He didn’t have to steal it like you did.” He spat and just continued to walk out. The whole crew followed after him, not even questioning his leadership. Liam, on the other hand, found it appalling that they had magic on the ship the whole time and none of them were aware of it.

Harry and Belle were at the bottom of the stairs outside. He was holding her as she softly cried into his chest. Everything he said to her were painful, and she couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t let her love him when she really could do just that. The Prince saw the pirates making their way towards them. Harry had no idea what will happen now.

Louis watched Harry comfort the weeping lady, pursing his lips together. He told the other pirates to go to the gates and wait for them, already having Liam stand by his side.“I know a place where we can stay—”

“We?” Harry aired out, slowly pulling away from Belle, who only wiped her cheeks and glanced around at the other pirates with a curious look. “I’m not coming with you.” He told him. “ _We’re_ not coming with you.”

His words struck dagger into Louis’ chest, and so he took a step back. He knew it, he knew that Harry would think of him differently or see him differently because the Dark One was his father. Liam was wrong, definitely wrong. No matter what, Louis knew that Harry can never accept him.

Smee stepped in. “Your Highness, it’s not safe for both of you to just wander around a continent you two know nothing about.” He explained, but Harry still shook his head. “Louis tried to tell you about his father—”

“This isn’t about the Dark One being his father, I don’t _care_ about that. I will never judge someone based on who their father is.” He immediately said, but he still looked angry. He goes to walk in front of Louis, inching their faces close. “What I want to know is _why_ you never told me about him knowing everything I did. He knew where I was and what I was planning to do and you never bothered telling me.” Harry let out a breath, cheeks flushing with disappointment. “I was going to face _him_. I was ready to fight your _father_ for her, and you never told me that he knew all along. He knew I was coming!” He pushed him, not enough to make him fall down but enough to make him stumble back to regain his balance immediately. “I trusted you, Louis!” He pointed at him. “And you didn’t trust me enough.”

“I did trust you, you know I did.” Louis tried reaching out to him, but Harry moves away.

“You didn’t trust me enough to accept you.” Harry shook his head at him. “You thought I would hate you if I find out about your father?”

“Yes, I did.” He confirmed. “But you have to understand how difficult it was to tell you, Harry, it was so difficult.” Louis basically pleaded him. “I couldn’t…”

“Couldn’t what?” Harry blinked back his tears, his fists clenching. Heaven’s sake, he has never felt this type of anger. Maybe because he lived in such an environment built to help him relax. Being surrounded by pirates has really taken a toll on him.

Louis frowned, eyes blue with a hint of sadness that did so well to hide. “I couldn’t lose you. Not because of him.” He shook his head, hand gesturing back to the castle.

Harry softened, lips parting as he thought of something to say, but couldn’t. What was he supposed to say to that? He had so many questions about everything that happened on that ship, all the assumptions and unanswered question swirling inside his mind like a plague. All of a sudden, there was an urge to go near him. To wrap his arms around this man, the man who woke him up with a kiss, only to prove how true their emotions were for one another. He so desperately wanted to act on this, but Belle’s words to Rumpelstiltskin echoed inside his head. “I don’t know, Louis. I can’t…” he let out a breath, eyes closing and the action made a tear escape his eye. “I don’t know if I could trust you again.”

The pirate swallowed and looked away. How is trust so important to him now? It’s bizarre for anyone to trust a pirate, and everyone knows that. Even Louis and the whole crew knew that. The fact that this young Prince trusted him already meant so much to Louis, and he fucked it all up. He drew in a deep breath. “I understand.” He nodded. “But you trust Smee, you know that he won’t lie to you,”

“He lied for you.”

“He was trying to get me to tell the truth.”

Harry shook his head at him. “I can’t, Louis. I can’t come with you.”

The pirate felt too many emotions at this time, it was beginning to be too much. A lot was happening at once. Seeing Harry again after how they left it at the ship, his ship going missing, Harry finding out the truth; everything was too much. “Why not?” It was painful to get the words out, seeing the Prince cry was the worst. Especially knowing that he’s the reason why those tears exist.

“Why not?” He repeated, crossing his arms. “You lied to me, you kept me from coming here,” he gestured around them. “And I can’t put you or your crew at risk. I can’t let you do that.”

“Harry—”

“This is my fight. It’s between me and the Queen. I can’t let you fight this war for me.” Harry sincerely told him.

Louis had a stern expression on his face. “What if I want to?”

“I can’t let you die.” The Prince immediately said. “You can’t die for me.” He softly breathed out. “She’s too powerful, I can’t let her get to you.”

Louis knew who he was referring to and looked at the ground, tapping his shoe onto the dirt under his heel. “So you’re going to face her? Alone?”

“I’m going to find out about this prophecy.” Harry ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back before he turned on his heel to make his way towards his horse.

Louis’ mind was racing, and the sight of the Prince walking away from him was terrifying. “Come with us, please, I—” Louis stopped to breathe. “You don’t know the South like we do. You’ll die if you go out there.” He told him, raising his voice so Harry could hear him. “You don’t have to stay with me, but at least do it for Belle. She’s not safe out there.”

The Prince knew that he was right. If Harry left with Belle without knowing how to control his powers or how to fight off people who may have a reason to hurt them, Belle would get hurt. Especially now that he knows how a lot of people are hunting for him to deliver to the Queen in exchange for money. Heaven only knows what people are willing to do for their families or themselves, Niall was a big proof for that. Harry sighed, finding it physically painful to do what he was about to do. He turned around and faced the man he loved. “Okay, alright.” He nodded and relief washed over Louis’ face. “But this doesn’t mean that I forgive you for what you did. For now, Smee is the only one I trust.” He told Louis, and it only broke Louis. It was enough, though. The Prince finally agreed to come with them, and Louis can do whatever it took to keep him safe.

Louis gave him a curt nod, watching the Prince help Belle on a horse and holding the leash to guide the horse right behind him. Smee walked up to Louis with a regretful look. “Alright, you can say that you told me so.”

“I’m not going to do that, Louis.” He slid his hands into his front pockets. “But I did warn you,”

“That’s the same thing.”

Liam cracked a smile, trying to lighten up the mood. “It’s better than nothing, right?” He nodded towards Harry.

The pirate Captain blinked. “Is it?” He started to walk to the gate where the others were, beginning their journey to a village that Louis was very familiar of.

“No.” Liam shook his head, a frown on his face as he followed his Captain. “But it is what it is.”

***

Louis stood in front of the building. “Here we are.” He gestured to the tall bricked establishment. The pirates walked inside without a problem, but Harry and Belle remained outside, gaping at the building. Liam stood beside Louis as usual, watching the other two. Harry wore his hood, hiding his face from the other people that kept walking past them inside the village. Belle didn’t need to hide her face, though, at least no one is looking for her or knew what her face looked like. Liam sighed, a bit disapproving Louis’ decision of taking them here even though he could see why.

“Are you being serious right now?” Harry gaped at Louis, reading the sign over and over again. “You took us to a _brothel?”_ He asked in disbelief, and Belle only clung to his arm, a bit intimidated by what stood in front of her.

“It’s the safest place for everyone right now.” Louis tried to explain.

“A brothel?” He was still in disbelief. “How many disrobed people are in there?” He exclaimed.

Louis hesitated. “Well, I’m not so sure. I haven’t been here for ages—” he was cut off by Liam swatting his arm. Harry frowned at his words, looking away and crossing his arms. Louis bit his lip, knowing that those were the wrong choice of words. “What I mean is that we’re safe here. No one is going to suspect that you’re here.”

Harry sighed. “Let’s just get this done, shall we?” He walked past Louis and Smee, while Belle gave them a polite smile and followed after the Prince.

Nothing could ever prepare Harry for what he saw.

Different ladies, missing their clothes. Belle stared with horror on her red face, watching the women walk past her without a care in the world. There were other groups of women surrounding a horrendous looking man, who was laughing hysterically. Harry tried his best not to tilt his head to view the rooms while they walked through the hallway. Moans, skin slapping together and screams of pleasure filled the rooms, and Belle gasped when she felt a hand on her hip. Even men, walking around with nothing to cover themselves. Harry kept his gaze down, swallowing and even flushing in embarrassment. He avoided looking at anyone’s face, fearing that he might be recognized. Nothing like this ever happened in his kingdom, as far as Harry knew. There were no brothels at all up in the North. It’s no good to objectify the body of different people, it wasn’t part of Harry’s principles. But, if you ask the Prince, as long as the people who work in that area consent to this, then there wasn’t any harm done.

Louis cringed and pulled away whenever a woman or a man tried touching him or sliding their hands on his chest. He’s way past all of this now, and none of them were what he wanted most. Sadly, the one person he wanted, didn’t even want to see him at this moment. He tapped Harry’s shoulder to point where they were going, and they were lead to the stairs. The walked up and reached the second level, where they are met by a man in a rather wide bed, surrounded by four different women. Harry gasped and looked away with a flushed face. It didn’t even bother Louis or Liam as they walked up to him. “Out, all of you.” Louis’ booming voice filled the room.

The undressed people scurried out after seeing the very familiar pirate, closing the doors behind themselves. Belle was more than horrified, the look on her face willed it so. Once they were gone, the vengeful expression on Louis’ face dropped and he let out a sigh.

Harry glanced around the place and wondered how Louis could just make people leave. Probably because he’s one of the most notorious pirates in the realm. Maybe even _the_ most. The pirate went to a big chest, pushing it open and taking out fresh sheets. “Sleep, change. There are food everywhere. Help yourself. Never leave this floor unless you’re with me or Smee.” He reminded Harry, giving the sheets to him. The prince gratefully accepts, nodding at Belle as if to ask for help.

Once they’ve settled in, Louis stood at the balcony with a glass of wine. It was nighttime and Belle is fast asleep on the bed, with Liam tending to her every need. Harry wore the clothes that he brought, wrapping his arms around himself due to the cold weather. The prince found himself walking to the balcony as well, seeing the pirate missing his leather jacket and only wearing the white shirt underneath.

The Prince sighed, closing the door behind himself. Louis heard the soft sound, making him turn to see the boy. Harry pressed his lips together, crossing his arms and slowly making his way to Louis’ side. Not many people were outside, so he didn’t have t worry about keeping his face hidden. Louis shifted his weight from one foot to another, feeling rather odd how he’s not allowed to just lean in and press a kiss on the Prince’s lips, remind him of how much he missed having him around. He knew better than to make him uncomfortable, but the thought only made Louis want to drink more.

Harry cleared his throat. “I’m not going to pretend like you came to the castle for me.” He softly said. “You went there for your ship, right?”

He sighed, raising the glass to his lips and sipping more wine. “What do you want me to say that will satisfy you?”

His words brought a frown on his face, teeth biting down his rosy red lip. “Why are you helping me?”

Louis glanced at him, looking away almost immediately. “You know why.”

He’s right, Harry does know. Maybe he knew more than Louis did. True love’s kiss, it could break any curse. That idea was planted inside Harry’s head, it was meant to taunt him. To make him question whether or not something was real. He wasn’t even sure if he really did meet Lady Cecyle or Mulan. Anything could be a manipulation from the Queen now. He just smiled a bit, to at least make things better. “Belle is comfortable here, thank you.”

“It’s still a brothel, though.”

Harry finally let out a small laugh. “I do admit, it’s pretty funny.”

Louis slowly smiled, a bit relieved to hear him laugh in a while. “I never thought anyone could ever love him, you know? Then, here she is.” His smile faded a bit. “Is it horrible to think why or how she could ever love him? I mean, you saw him. You know what he can do, you know what he did and she still…” he trailed off, resting his elbows on the marble railing. Harry frowned, not entirely sure if Louis was referring to the Dark One or himself. “Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have poured all this on you.”

“Were you really that afraid to tell me about him being your father?” He softly asked.

The pirate craned his neck to fix his gaze on Harry. “Yeah,” he simply answered. “I couldn’t accept it myself, how can I expect that from you?”

Harry reached over and placed his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I accepted it wholeheartedly. I just don’t know how to feel about him knowing what I was doing the entire time I was on your ship.” He muttered. “Although, both cases required you telling me that he’s your father, and I get that now. I understand why you did it.”

Louis was astonished, letting out a shaky breath. “You do?”

He gave him a nod and a smile. “I do.” He admitted as Louis gave him a look just before he continued to drink. Harry hesitated. “Those people in this room earlier. They… left because they fear you.”

Louis pursed his lips, tasting the wine. “Yeah.” His voice was quiet.

“You really do have a reputation.”

“Does that bother you?”

Harry frowned. “Of course not. It’s just,” he paused. “I don’t see what they see. I don’t understand how people could just be afraid of you.”

The pirate let out a dry laugh, not sure if he should be insulted or flattered. “Must have something to do with everything I’ve done. I’m a pirate, Harry.”

“I get that, but,” Harry sighed, looking down. He wasn’t sure, but the fear in those people’s eyes upon seeing Louis, it didn’t settle well inside him. “Never mind,” he muttered under his breath.

Hook craned his neck to glance at the Prince, seeing how the boy only looked at the scene in front of them. Louis held the glass in his single hand, flexing his wrist to see the wine circle around inside its container. “Are you afraid of me?” The burning question felt painful to ask. It took a toll on his voice, seeming even more quiet.

If it weren’t for the silence of the night, Harry wouldn’t be able to hear him. He turned his head to look at the man, sensing how whatever Harry’s answer may be, it would greatly affect him. “No,” he simply answered. “Of course not.” His answer somewhat relieved Louis. “It must have been very difficult for you.”

The pirate shook his head. “It was harder for you, Harry. I made things turn to shit. It’s not a bad thing to admit that. Go on.”

Prince Harry grabbed both his shoulders and forced the pirate to face him. “You did a lot for me, Louis. I can’t thank you enough.” He genuinely admitted.

Louis couldn’t look away from his face, and he should have controlled himself when he started to lean in. The Prince found himself leaning in as well, eyes fluttering shut as he felt the pirate’s soft breath against his mouth. He was so desperate to finally press their lips together and pull him close to his body. To feel his arms around him as their tongues danced to the sound of their need for each other. Harry wanted him with every part of himself. Every inch of his soul craved the pirate, and the Prince could think of nothing else he wanted more.

He knew it will never happen. Harry’s mind screamed ‘no’, while his body yelled the opposite. He stilled, turning his head and moving back as he pinched his bottom lip. He looked away from Louis, clearing his throat as he quite noticeably put some distance between them. Louis felt disappointed, why did he ever think that everything will be erased upon doing that? He went back to his old position and drank the wine from his glass. “I think you have questions for me now. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

Harry thought about all the questions in his mind, but decided against it. “It can wait.” He nodded, pushing himself off the railing and going to the door, sliding it open. He paused, standing still as he looked over his shoulder. Louis had his back towards him, still drinking his glass of wine. Harry pursed his lips, going back inside and closing the door to give Louis some space. The pirate sighed to himself, careful not to drink too much.

The Prince went into the room, peeking in to see Liam standing by the table reading some papers. Belle was asleep on the wide bed, so Harry was quiet with his steps. Liam was standing by the covered mirror when he noticed the Prince walk inside. He pursed his mouth and kept still in his place. Harry fiddled with his thumbs and scratched the pad of his thumb in uncertainty. “I can watch over her now, thank you.” He muttered to Liam.

The first mate looked crushed. “Harry, I’m very sorry you had to find out like that.”

The Prince immediately shook his head. “It’s okay, at least now I know.” Harry couldn’t say it was over, because it was far from that. If anything, another part of his life is only beginning. He had no idea how to take it from here, though. Does he go back to his kingdom and try to sort everything out? No. Rationally thinking, Harry couldn’t go back without reinforcements. He couldn’t go home without an army to help him fight against the Queen. Who knows what she’s been doing to all the innocent people? The very thought sent shivers down his spine. Harry desperately wished that he could do more for his people, to save them from an awful situation that they all should not be involved in.

Liam hesitated. “So, what’s your plan?” He flicked his head towards the sleeping woman.

He sighed, crossing his arms. “I don’t have one yet, but I need to think fast.” He told him. “And Belle needs to know everything by tomorrow. It won’t do her any good being so clueless all the time.” Heaven’s sake, how was Harry supposed to explain everything that has happened? Even Harry couldn’t understand the current events.

The other man only cracked a smile at him. “I’m sure that will go well.” There was a hint of a teasing tone in his voice, which only makes Harry chuckle a bit. Liam excused himself to let Harry rest, closing the door behind him and leaving the two. Harry sat on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath before he carefully pulled the sheets over Belle to keep her warm. He doesn’t know if he could sleep tonight, anyway.

Liam walked to the balcony seeing his captain still drinking wine. It amused him a bit, since Louis never was fond of wine and would prefer rum; he’s only drinking it because it’s the only alcoholic beverage that the brothel has. Some claim that it’s because the drink is an aphrodisiac, which is pretty absurd to Louis. The Captain heard footsteps nearing him, which only made him turn his head around to check. Upon seeing Liam, he just continued drinking. “The others?”

“Downstairs. Seems like everyone else is occupied.” Liam easily said, only making his Captain nod. Every pirate would crave sex every once in a while, Louis understood that. It wasn’t news to him that the rest of his crew were probably in different rooms, spending their riches for sex and any kind of company. Although, the very suggestion of it seemed repulsing to Louis now. Truth be told, it seemed as if Harry ruined him by making him stop looking for anyone else except the Prince himself. He frowned at the thought of that. The one thing he wanted the most, he cannot have. Louis was so used to getting everything he ever wanted. Treasure, power, sex, and all the glory that came with it. He realized how much he wanted everyone to fear him, but he was terrified for Harry to be one of those people.

His first mate stayed silent for a moment, but decided to speak up. “Why didn’t you tell me about Harry’s magic?”

Louis audibly sucked in a breath through his teeth, he should have anticipated this burning question from his closest friend. He tilted his head. “I didn’t think it was necessary.” He muttered.

Liam raised his eyebrows in surprise, almost scoffing at his friend. “Not necessary? He has _light_ magic. You _are_ aware of how rare that is, right? To be naturally born with magic, especially with light?” Liam was so close to bursting at how reckless his Captain’s being lately. “Does Harry even understand the gravity of what he has inside of him?”

The words processed themselves inside Louis’ mind. “What do _you_ know about light magic?” His tone was almost accusing as he held the wine cup in his hand.

“Enough to know that it can defeat the Dark One _and_ the Queen altogether.” He sighed out, making Louis freeze. “Unlike Dark Magic, Light is almost impossible to destroy.”

Louis scoffed at this. “Then what happened to the last Light One? I’m pretty sure he’s dead.” He widened his eyes in emphasis and proceeded to drink.

Liam frowned, crossing his arms. “There’s no proof that he actually is. The Light One is just… _gone_.”

“Yeah, because he’s dead.” His Captain worded nonchalantly, maybe because he had too much to drink. Although, it was just wine, nothing as strong as what Louis’ usual intake is.

“Is that what you’ve told Harry? That the Light One is dead?”

Those words brought silence to the pirate Captain. He only moved his wine glass in a circular motion to watch the grape colored liquid mold into the shape of the inside of the goblet. Louis could feel his chest caving in, as if there was too much weight falling down onto his body. Weight that he cannot carry by himself. “I didn’t tell him because there’s a slight possibility that whatever he has inside him, it has something to do with this bloody prophecy.” Louis stressfully claimed.

“That’s not connected at all,” Liam interjected. “I thought you’re helping him find out what this prophecy is.”

“What I’m saying is that there’s a possibility that Harry is the next Light One.” Louis aired out, taking in the surprised look on the other man’s face. He drank in the shock and paling expression of his, and the way Liam was speechless. “ _Maybe_ , I have no idea.” Louis quickly added, shaking his head in a fast pace.

“How… how did you come about this conclusion of yours? The next Light One?” Liam asked in an astonished tone. “You do realize that Light is different from Dark, right? Unlike Dark Magic, becoming the Light One isn’t exactly being passed down from person to person through rituals.” He monotonously told his friend, making Louis stand and sigh audibly.

“I am aware of that. Did you think I wasn’t?” Louis glared at him. “You saw the way my father talked about Harry. He’s not just some other person with light magic. What he has inside him, it _has_ to be something special. Something unique.” He insisted. “He was naturally born with magic. Name one person who’s the same as he is.”

Liam paused. He tried to think of any magical sorcerer that was naturally gifted by Light magic, but could think of none. Eventually, he fills the silence. “Not even Merlin.”

Captain Hook nodded in agreement, hand gripping the goblet. “Not even the first bloody Light One. And that was a hundred million years ago.” He trailed off.

Merlin achieved his powers through the holy grail, which then granted him magic and immortality. Although, just like anyone, he fell in love and went on his way to find a way to remove his immortality to be able to age with his love. Liam frowned. “His wife was the first Dark One,” he mentioned.

Louis used to love these kinds of tales about the realm. Different stories coming from different people. Reading about the history of their land used to give him so much joy, whenever he goes to the library wearing scraps and shirts with holes. He could still recall the things that happened in the past, from when he wasn’t even alive yet. “Nimue, Lady of the Lake. It was a long time ago.” He brushed the topic off.

Liam was catching on, slowly. “You don’t want Harry to know too much because you fear that he’s in far too much danger. Maybe he even poses _as_ a great danger.” He claimed. “To himself and others.” His muttered, more to his own now, but Louis still heard.

Hook slowly shook his head, in deep thought. “The last Light One is dead for a reason, Smee. Maybe we don’t know why or how, but we all know that he’s long gone. Whoever he was.” His voice was much quieter. “Any form of magic is dangerous.”

“Any form of _dark_ magic is dangerous.” Liam corrected him, but Louis only ignored it. “Harry is not dangerous.” He felt the need to remind him.

The pirate just scoffed. “I’m not saying that Harry is dangerous. I’m referring to that magic he has. Who knows, it might become a burden to him.”

“ _Or_ he could use it as a weapon if he trains himself to use it.” His first mate tried reasoning with him.

Louis let out a frustrated groan. “For fuck’s sake, you don’t get it!” He gripped the back of his own neck. “I’ve been surrounded by magic for my entire life, and it _destroys_ you.” His voice was cracking. “It can destroy him, light or dark. Magic is magic,” he looked away from Liam, trying his best not to just break in front of him. It wasn’t fair for Liam to see him this way. “Light magic is dying everywhere. Harry doesn’t need to die along with them.”

“Why does someone have to die in this story?” His friend, as the complete optimistic person he is, told him.

It wasn’t until Liam saw the hint of light reflecting on his Captain’s eyes. The hint of hot tears. Liam’s expression softened when he saw the pained look on his best friend. It wasn’t everyday for the pirate to appear this way. Come to think of it, Liam has never seen him this way ever since their previous Captain died.

Louis immediately wiped the tears as soon as one rolled down on each cheek. He scoffed and stared at his single hand, watching the salty tears wet his fingers. “Oh, look at that, Mr. Smee. I’m very talented with letting my body keep betraying me this way.” He flicked his hand as if to shake away the tears and wiped away the incoming ones. “For fuck’s sake,” he grumbled, struggling to keep that single sob from getting past his throat.

Liam walked over and gave him a comforting pat on the back, to which Louis only shook his head at before pushing him away. “No, come on, none of that.” Louis sniffled, coughing a bit as he felt awkward in his position. Liam found it incredibly saddening to realize everything Louis is going through. He can’t even begin to imagine all the pent up anger, screams, cries and tears that his friend was suppressing himself to feel. “I’m fine.”

“You’re clearly not fine.”

Louis shook his head. “I have to be, for him.” His eyes dart to Harry’s direction, as if his eyes could suddenly see through walls and could see the Prince sitting on the floor in front of a candle, trying to see if he could control his magic. “I didn’t tell him everything I knew about the Light One because that would require revealing my... _certain_ relative.” He scrunched his face in disgust.

“He’s taking the revelation quite well, it seems.”

The Captain’s eyes twitched. “He won’t even let me come near him. I can’t even touch him or anything that we used to do. It feels like everything changed.”

“Did you even hear what he said earlier?” His friend narrowed his eyes at him. “He’s upset because you hid information from him that concerned the wellbeing of both him and Belle.” He told him. “Not because of how your dad is the Dark One.” Louis shook his head in disagreement, huffing. Liam sighed. “It’s like you don’t want to accept the fact that Harry is fine with the Dark One being your father.”

“Yeah, I don’t accept it.” He immediately answered, filling his glass with wine and chugging it afterwards. He gripped his cup as his nose flares in anger. “How is he not terrified? How can he be okay with this? I certainly am not,” he made a sound of disapproval.

Liam frowned at his words, reflecting on the way his Captain despised his father with every inch of his being. Rumpelstiltskin may be an awful father, but he never stopped watching over Louis and fixing his tiny mistakes. Liam can’t exactly say that he admired the Dark One, but he can say that he somewhat has his respect on the fatherly aspect. Not much for the ‘all-knowing and all-powerful’ wizard aspect. When Harry fell into a deep slumber, Liam almost asked Louis if this was all Rimpelstiltskin’s doing, but he recalled Louis cutting him off in fear that Harry may still be listening in. He wanted Louis to tell Harry as soon as he could, but the stubborn and childish pirate refused to do so. Now, that decision of his has put him in a very difficult position.

“Why can’t you just feel glad that Harry accepts you for who you are?”

“Because!” Louis began, but could not finish. He had no idea how to answer that question. “How could he accept me when I couldn’t accept it myself?” His voice was much quieter that time, and the wine glass was empty in his hand. The moon’s reflection glinted on his hook as silence engulfed the scene.

Liam did not have a response for that.

The very next day, Harry sat in front of Belle the moment she woke up. He tried his best explaining the situation to his extent. He isn’t quite sure he’s doing well. Harry barely had any adventure that needed explaining. He doesn’t recall going on a journey in all the years before Belle was taken from the castle, so now that he’s actually forming words to describe how his life was, it was incredibly difficult.

“You… ran away from the palace because the Queen cursed you?” Belle frowned, her eyes almost filling with tears. Harry could only nod in response, there was not much to do now. It was finally morning. The sunlight seeped through the curtains and gave them a chance to see better. Belle could not muster a correct reaction, but she was still in disbelief of everything Harry just told her. Everything beginning from when she left the palace. Although, he hasn’t gone to the part where he met has somehow developed certain feelings for a certain Captain. “And the King?”

It pained Harry to let the words leave his mouth. “He’s dead,” he swallowed the lump forming in his throat, avoiding any eye contact from her. “I killed him.”

Belle softened and so she reached over to wrap her arms around him. “You were under a spell, Harry. There was nothing you could have done.” She reassured him.

“I know, but it was still me who killed him. I’ll forever have his blood on my hands.” Harry faced the cold hard truth.

Belle did not have any words to say as she stroked his hair in a calming manner. She always used to do this to him whenever he got yelled at by his stepmother, and no one else defended him. Who would ever dare to defy the Queen? And so Belle comforts him in a more private place such as his room. Harry was always so grateful. Whenever he had no one, he would still have Belle, his best friend. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all that,”

The Prince sniffled and shook his head. “It’s in the past now. I just need to find out about this prophecy and figure out how to stop the Queen.” He grimaced, remembering another very significant detail about himself. “And there’s actually one more thing.” He muttered and took in the look of confusion on Belle’s face.

“What is it?” She curiously asked, slowly pulling away.

“Do not freak out.” He immediately warned her as he rubbed his hands together and suddenly gestured towards the candle, pleading that it would work.

When it didn’t, Belle looked between him and the candle. “What am I seeing right now?”

Harry sighed. “It takes some time, be patient.”

“Oh,” Belle just paused and let her best friend try to act silly in front of a candle.

When it still wouldn’t light up, Harry frowned. “I was supposed to have a dramatic revelation to you,” he disappointedly told her, his shoulders sagging.

She squinted her eyes. “Revelation of what?”

“I have magic, Belle!” He exclaimed happily, grabbing her hands. “I really do have magic! Well, I can’t control them or get them to work sometimes, but I could learn. And _then_ I could properly say that I have Light magic.” He grinned.

Belle was lost, stammering as she observed him with a shocked expression. “M-magic?” She asked, her voice coming out as a breath as a slow smile appeared on her face. “Magic?” She repeated with a louder voice.

Harry frantically nodded and let out a quiet laugh as he watched her become confused and surprised and as well as happy about the news. “How?”

“I have no idea, actually. I think I was born with it.” Harry gave her a shrug. “My mother is a witch, you know. A good witch,” he nodded.

“Queen Anne had magic.” Belle breathed out, quite astonished.

She seemed very excited to learn more about his journey to the southern part of the realm. Harry was all too pleased to share, as well. Belle had the type of personality where she could just listen to him talk endlessly and would still be interested. “She learned magic, with someone I met recently. Sylvor Greeves.” He told her about everything regarding Clock, just as Louis entered the room. His hook was missing, and all he had was the stump that held the device in its place. The chattering died down as the pirate stood by the doorframe, a bit uncomfortable. Harry’s heart was beating faster than earlier as he looked back at Belle. In all honesty, Harry doesn’t think that he needed to tell her about whatever was happening between him and Louis. A part of Harry knows that she was already aware. Belle excused herself to go have a proper bath and closing the door behind her to leave the pair alone. Harry pushed himself onto his feet, unsure what to do with his hands.

Louis cleared his throat. “Liam prepared some food for both of you. With the right ingredients, he’s a pretty decent cook.” He reassured and received a nod from Harry. Silence filled the room once again and Louis just couldn’t take the distance between the two of them. He can’t believe he lasted this long without having him close. Louis is surprised with himself. “I came here to talk to you.”

“About what?” Harry mumbled, even though he knew what this was about. Well, he partially knew. This could be about the secrets, the missing ship, the potion’s significance, _them_.

Louis bit his lip. “I’m not sure how to go about this without startling you.”

The Prince sighed, not wanting everyone to treat him as if he was a delicate thing. “Louis, I’ve been on your ship for almost half a year, talking only to pirates and am currently squatting at a brothel after facing the Dark One to take my best friend back; nothing is startles me anymore.”

“Well, now that you’ve worded it that way,” Louis trailed off, raising his eyebrows in an amused way. Harry tried his best not to smile at how silly he was. “I… well, I’m here to say that it’s fine that we stopped… whatever it was between us. I’m okay with it.” Louis pushed the words out of his mouth. “I just want you to be alright, that’s all.”

Harry’s heart warmed. That definitely didn’t startle him in any way. In fact, it might only have resulted to an increase of adoration he has towards the man in front of him. Harry knew that he couldn’t, not after everything Louis has lied to him about and his from him. And especially not now, while the war is still happening. Something dark is coming and Harry can’t focus on falling in love at the moment. He needed to save his people, that should be his main priority right now.

But, it was so difficult. Especially from the way Louis looked at him as if he could give in at any moment and step forward to take the Prince in his arms and kiss him until they couldn’t breathe. It was too difficult to fight away any urges and desperation to hold him in his arms again. It was all Harry wanted and needed to do. But in doing that, he might as well just neglect the entire kingdom. Can he do both, though? Save his people while having love for himself? He remained unsure.

“Thank you, Louis. That’s very much appreciated.”

It was the end of that, then. Harry accepted his offer, and did not try to fight it off and let them try. Louis didn’t know how simple words could crush him entirely. He plastered a small smile to at least please the Prince. “I’m prepared to answer any questions you might have. Anything you’d like to know.”

Harry let out a breath, staring off into space for a moment to think of anything that comes to mind. They all come at once, without warning and it made his head hurt. “I don’t know where to start.” He slowly began. A lot of things happened in the span of a week. In fact, a lot happened in the past half a year that Harry needed complete details about.

The pirate knew what was coming, and so he looked down to his feet. “I don’t know either.” He couldn’t think straight, it was as if his mind stopped running and could only focus on the Prince in front of him.

When Harry finally gathered his thoughts, he wiped his sweaty hands on the sleeves of his shirt. “When we were in that cove, what did you find that you couldn’t tell me?” He scratched his elbow nervously, not sure if he should prepare himself for an answer. Would it be better if he didn’t know? Would he take it back after Louis tells him the truth?

Captain Hook sucked in a sharp breath and balled his fist. “That, yeah, that’s a good question.” He tried stalling, but he knew it was no use. He had to own up to everything, to finally tell Harry the truth about everything. “The noise we heard just before you disappeared, it was supposed to draw us away from each other. You were transported elsewhere, while I…” he bit his lip, pausing. “I was in a dream.”

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. “What kind of dream?”

Louis hesitated. “It was the same with your past dreams, where you can interact with the Queen. I saw your stepmother.” He said with closed eyes. “The prints you found, with your tracking abilities, they were from the chest I buried there. I found it just after the dream. It wasn’t that significant, but the fact that it was out of the cave was a bit odd.”

The words sent shivers down Harry’s spine, and made his stomach twist in uneasiness. If the chest was outside the cave, then someone else really must have been there. “You saw her? What do you—”

“I saw her,” he whispered. “She was wearing a red dress and she was holding an apple.” Louis did recall Harry telling him about a poisoned apple that he took from his step-mother. It made harry gulp and look towards him with wide eyes. Harry could feel his breath getting caught in his throat. “She walked to me, and tried giving me the apple.”

“Why would she do that?”

“She was offering me something,” Louis’ voice was cautious, unsure how he should word this. “Before I should get into that, I should probably explain, uh… him.” He couldn’t even say his name without having his stomach twist in an unnerving way. Harry frowned and nodded, going to sit down on the edge of the bed. Louis hesitated, but decided to take a few steps forward until a few feet separated them. “I probably should start in the beginning.”

“Okay, if that would make things better.” Harry nodded along. “I just want to understand the gaps between everything that’s been going on.”

“I know, I know,” the other man nodded. “When I was a boy, my father was still normal. He was a normal man, with no magic and no motives to ever hurt anyone else. He was a good man, if you could believe it.” Louis frowned, already hearing the laughter inside his head, the laughter that belonged to his sisters as his father created a god awful mask to entertain his children. Louis could see the lovely smile on his mother’s face, full of adoration for her husband.  “Despite all that, he was the village’s coward. Everyone despised him for not joining the army. For running away, in fear that he would die before I was born.” He huffed, still unable to accept the way people treated his family back then. Louis crossed his arm as he continued, seeing the focused expression on the Prince’s face as he told his tale.

He could feel his own heart sink, thinking of the events that happened in his past. “I was twelve when I lost my sisters. My mother was so upset that she fell ill, unable to cope with their deaths,” he swallowed,. “I was thirteen when my father reached his breaking point. He was pushed around by people from the higher tier of the hierarchy. He lost his daughters. He had a plan to kill this Dark One he kept making a fuss about, and my mother was so against it… but he did it anyway.” He pressed his lips together, watching Harry look down and think of how awful the situation must have been. “You remember what I told you, right? About how to become a Dark One?”

Harry gave him a hesitant nod. “One has to perform a ritual to summon the Dark One and they have to kill them. And then do a certain task?” He isn’t sure if he recalled it correctly, but it may have been between those lines.

“Sounds simple enough, don’t you think?” He told the Prince. “Killing a Dark One isn’t simple. I have no idea how the Dark One managed to do it without any help, and in secret. I preferred not to ask.” He mumbled. “After killing them, they have to make a sacrifice.”

From the tone of his voice, Harry could tell that he wasn’t about to like this. He observed the way Louis’ hand was shaking, and it appeared as though he was struggling to finally let all of this out in the open. Harry wanted to comfort him, but he had to restrain himself from doing so. Who knows what Harry could do if ever they came too close? “What did he do?”

Louis let out a bitter laugh. “I’ll tell you what he _didn’t_ do.” He shook his head, appearing to be furious over him. “He didn’t have mercy. He didn’t hesitate.” His voice came a bit shaky now, Harry felt his heart clench. “You want to know what he did? He cursed me.” He was nearly shaking with anger, but Harry couldn’t find it in himself to feel terrified. Instead, he felt a sudden despondency.

The Prince had a shocked look on his face, falling with grief as if someone had passed away. Harry held back the tears, trying not to think of an innocent thirteen-year-old boy being cursed by his own father. “What kind of curse?”

Hook  scoffed softly. “He needed a medium. That was his sacrifice. To pick a medium in order to place Dark magic in. Wonderful, isn’t it?” He hissed quietly, the resentment was written all over his face.

Harry looked puzzled. “He put Dark magic in you? A child?” He couldn’t imagine anyone doing it to someone, actually. Regardless of the age.

“ _His_ child. To be blunt. Half the amount of Dark magic in him will also be placed in me. So if he increases that, I would keep growing darkness inside me.” Louis nodded. “I wasn’t affected by the cave, unlike you. It was because I had Dark magic, in contrast to yours. But unlike anyone in the whole bloody realm, I can’t use the magic. Thank _fuck_ for that.” He let out a sigh in relief.

Harry didn’t know what to say. “How does the magic affect you, then?”

The pirate bit his lip in hesitation yet again. “I don’t know. I sometimes believe it’s the reason why I am the way I am.” He shrugged. “A part of me believes that me being a pirate is just… me being myself. That the magic never contributed to any of those awful things about me. That I did most of that by myself.” He looked at the ground, almost resentfully.

“Louis…” Harry began, but Louis raised his hand to stop him, wanting to continue his story. Harry politely nodded and let him speak. “My father succeeded and he was finally the Dark One. He got back to everyone who treated our family poorly. He killed and killed until I lost count of how many lives he took. Only the crew knows about how the Dark One achieved his powers when I became Captain, they swore an oath to keep it secret.” Louis sighed, shaking his head. He was ashamed to have almost turned out exactly like his father, although he hated admitting to that truth. “My mother couldn’t take the news and she slowly faded. She died on her bed. I watched her.” There was sadness in his tone, remembering holding his mother’s hand in his two small ones. He remembers having ten fingers as they felt the way his mother’s grew colder and colder until it falls limp. Harry noticed, but before he could add a sympathetic line, Louis interrupts him. “Going back to the Queen, she offered me something in relation to my father.” He paused. “She offered to help change my father back to normal, to pass on the Dark One title to someone else.”

“In exchange for what?”

Louis held his breath for a second. “She… wanted me to cut your heart out and deliver it to the palace.” He hated saying it out loud. “Your stepmother is definitely insane.” He breathed out.

Harry almost wasn’t fazed. Instead, he only looked more curious. From the memories he got from the potion Louis gave him, the Queen never revealed much about the significance of his heart. Only threatening to cut it open and eat it, for some disgusting reason. Harry found himself dizzied with information. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“I refused and escaped her, then went to look for you.” Louis finished.

Harry realized how simple the secret was. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

The pirate shifted his weight from one foot to another. “Because you had nothing to worry about. I never would have taken that deal.” He simply said. “And if I told you, I would also have to tell you about my father and his whereabouts.” He added.

Harry slowly understood and felt quite pleased now. He was glad to know the truth, it felt refreshing. Although, another thing didn’t quite make sense to him. “What was the use of the potion you stole from Sylvor?”

Louis’ face relaxed, frowning a bit. “Light magic can destroy Dark magic, Harry. If I drank that potion, I… would have been removed any kind of darkness inside me,” he nodded, finding it difficult to open up. Although, he was slightly easing into it. Opening up and finally saying the truth after so long was somewhat refreshing. He waited so long to tell Harry everything, but he just didn’t know how the Prince will respond. Many people will be repulsed by the thought of being associated with the son of a dark being. Not Harry though, out of all people. “That was sort of the deal I made with him. I wanted the Dark One to finally cut all ties with me, so I could finally remove all the darkness in me. He refused, naturally. Removing Dark magic in him would mean removing it from him as well. I’m the one keeping his powers in him. If I die, his powers dies with me. Which is why he needs me alive, it’s absolutely hateful.” He frowned at the thought. “And he did this,” he raised his stump, observing the way it lacked another hand. The hand that was replaced by a pointy hook. “Because power was more important to him than me. It became one of the reasons why I resented Dark magic.”

Harry looked at him with a shocked expression, unable to formulate words inside his brain. He realized just how much Louis sacrificed for him, the things he did for Harry. Everything he did was for the Prince’s benefit and it made his heart shake. He could feel his stomach shriveling up with so much adoration and fondness for the man. Harry felt his eyes slowly sting. “But…” he paused, not quite sure what to add to what he began saying. “You gave me the potion.” He lowered his eyes.

Louis didn’t even waver, he just simply stood straight and appeared to be nonchalant, even though this felt like earth-shattering news for the Prince. “Well, of course.”

“But why?” Harry pulled himself onto his feet, holding back his tears. “Y-you could have been free. You were _freeing_ yourself!” He remarked in disbelief, as if he couldn’t accept how Louis sacrificed a rare potion that was impossible to recreate. He gave Louis an astonished look, mixed with incredulity. The potion was one of a kind, Louis might never be able to undo the awful action his father did to him. He made one of the greatest sacrifices that Harry has ever encountered, and the pirate did it for him. To make him remember and to finally give him insight on what to do. Harry didn’t know how to take in the information. “And you just… gave it to me. To help me remember.” His voice came out as a cloud of breath.

The pirate only gave him half a smile, saddened but righteous as he is. “And I would have done it again and again,” Hook gave him a short nod, eyes on him the whole time. “Don’t you know that, Harry?” He softly told him.

From his words, a tear left Harry’s left eye and he gulped hard. “Louis, why would you do that?”

Something inside Louis ached upon seeing the Prince cry yet again. Seeing him weep was one of Louis’ greatest miseries. He pursed his mouth. “Because, you’re _my_ Harry.”

The Prince gave in, marching up to him and pressing their mouths in an importunate manner, desperate for contact that Louis forgot what he was blabbing about. All he could think of was the way Harry traced his scalp and felt his hair in between his fingers to pull him closer. Louis wrapped both his arms around the boy, their bodies taking up the shape of the other. They were impeccable together, compatible in every sense of the word. Every single touch whispered, _‘I would do anything for you’_ and they both knew it. And it hurt just as much it remedied. Their mouths were hungry and longing, needing the other to feel whole. To be fully alive. Harry couldn’t believe that he survived this long without his other half. The pirate couldn’t even process what was happening, but he was responding in such a way that he’d remain in anguish if he had not felt Harry close to him.

When they pulled away, their foreheads pressed together. Their breaths come in slow pants as they break into small smiles, pressing their lips again in a softer manner before Louis pulled him into an embrace, eyes fluttering shut as he inhaled the scent of the Prince’s curls. He felt in content, to be able to tell Harry everything. Louis felt safe, and it should be the other way around. He felt safe in Harry’s arms, feeling the warmth of his body around him. He feared that he may never feel it ever again, but here he was.

Harry slowly pulled away once again, smiling a bit at Louis. “I can’t believe you did that for me,” then his smile faded. “You can never remove it, can’t you?”

Louis shrugged, tracing his thumb on Harry’s arm. “There’s no telling. But as you always are, let’s not lose hope.” He urged, staring at Harry with too much affection that he has never felt for anyone before. He can’t believe that Harry’s back here with him. He looked down at the necklace around Harry’s neck and smiled. “You still wear it.”

“Of course,” Harry’s hand travelled upwards and pinched the shell between his fingers. “You gave it to me.” The Prince slowly grinned, trying his best to be hopeful as he peppered Louis’s face with as many kisses as he could. Harry finally knew what he wanted. Needed, even. It was Louis, he needed him with every cell in his body. He’ll take back the kingdom, and he now knows that Louis would be standing right beside him when he does. It was now the two of them against the whole realm, Louis had a feeling that they will persist and Harry will accomplish all his goals. They both grin to themselves, finally understanding one another and silently promising to never keep secrets from one another ever again. Harry could barely fathom each emotion he was feeling, but he had an idea of what it was. The two of them held each other and swayed to the music in their safe space, happy and absolutely in heaven, despite their actual location being the top floor of a brothel.

But, that didn’t happen. _None_ of it did.

Harry kept staring back at Louis, tears streaming down his face as his heart was crushed once more while imagining what could have been his response. _You’re my Harry._ How was he supposed to respond to that? All he could think of was walking up to him and kissing him until their lungs ask for air. But he can’t do that right now, he doesn’t know how to do that. He kept thinking about his kingdom and the people who need him. Harry wanted to keep them in his mind, wanting to remind himself that he is needed. Maybe Louis will never understand what it’s like to have thousands of people put their faith in you to save them, but maybe Harry can make him understand.

The pirate stood in his place, knowing that the Prince has decided. Louis fought back his own frown of disappointment as he nodded at Harry as the boy remained speechless. “I’m going downstairs to, um, to gather the crew. We’re going to look for my ship. Liam is staying here with the two of you, tell him if you need anything.” His voice was rigid and cautious, swallowing his pride. He took one last look at Harry, feeling his body weaken at the sight of him before turning to open the door, stepping outside and closing it behind him.

When Harry was left alone, he let out a shaky breath and let the tears fall from his evergreen eyes, knowing full well that he can never have everything he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> observe the contrast between how louis loves, versus how rumpelstiltskin loves :)
> 
> "you were freeing yourself." x


End file.
